erica danielle

We miraculously made it out of the house by 9:23am this morning! After a 12:25am airport run and packing 3 cars full of wedding stuff and luggage for 5 adults and 6 kids- we needed a Starbucks before hopping on the highway. Michigan bound!  Our great little traveler, in her first ever pigtails! Traveler #2! 💙 Can't wait to see Lake Michigan and spend time with family!

Aaaaaaand we're off!!  We packed all 4 of us plus our stuff and are headed to Chicago and then will continue on to MichiganThursday with the rest of the Carlson clan! Can't wait to be with family and celebrate Lauren and Jon's marriage!  Here's to 12 hours in the car!  

We made it to Chicago last night- the car ride went great despite the fact that Lucy talked the entire 5 1/2 hours.  Today the kids and I visited Kate, Luke, Megan, Becca, and Bruce. It was chaotic and wonderful all at the same time. Very thankful for good friends here in the great state of Illinois.  We spent the rest of the day laying low and ended the night with dinner on the deck and a walk.  Loved watching Lucy interact with Elin and the other kids today- and getting some special time with Grammy.  Love this little nugget! Tomorrow we are Michigan bound! Can't wait!!!

I have SIGNIFICANTLY less pictures of Lucy this month... but boy has she been fun. I fully realize how confusing bringing home a baby is to a 22 month old- I am witnessing it first hand. So I would say, despite the outcries, tantrums and general dis-interest in Olle, Lucy is adjusting just fine. We've had SO much amazing help and I couldn't be more thankful. Some of my favorite things about her right now continues to be her language development. When she strings words together I feel so proud. I love listening to her talk, and am always blown away at the things she remembers and then references later in the day (or week). It seems like everyday she is learning a new word and if you aren't there to hear it the first time, you may not know what she is talking about, as she still is having a hard time with R's, L's and sometimes S's. My very favorite thing is when she says Olle, it comes out: Od-ie, and just this morning she said "Odie man cryn-in'....

Can't believe our little man is here. We didn't know the depths of love we had for this guy until he entered our family 2 weeks ago. He is the sweetest boy, and fills our home with little squeaks and grunts all day long. We picked his name (pronounced Ohl-lee) because we loved it, and Roger was Sten's Grandfathers name on his dads side. I was able to meet Roger a few times, and based on the stories I've heard, and the time I was able to spend with him, Olle has quite the namesake. He was a man of strong faith, deep love for his family and a wonderful sense of humor. When Olle entered the world at 8:29am on Friday, July 10th, he was 20 3/4 inches, and 7lbs. 9oz. The perfect little miracle. Here are some pics of his first weeks of life:  Love at first sight <3  heading to the hospital 5:45am Friday morning Lucy's first peek at her brother   Lucky Lucy and Olle to have 2 of the best grandparents in the world!...

July is here and that means BABY! We've been so busy preparing ourselves and our home for this little guy. It's been a crazy couple of weeks and as I sit down to type I am realizing how fast time really went this pregnancy. I put Lucy to bed alone tonight as Sten is at youth group and I couldn't stop myself from reading her a few extra books and singing a few extra songs. I was so emotional thinking about our time together ending. She was, of course, completely un-phased, and most likely thought it was the best night ever with all the extra books we read. I'm certain after the initial adjustment to life with a baby in the house she will be just fine, but I am cherishing these last few moments non-the-less. Our life in pictures over the last month or so :)  Zoo with friends.  Abbey Pub patio  Strawberry picking with Olive and Amos. These kids ate their body weight in strawberries that day.  Lucy laughs and EVERYTHING Amos does.  Berries ...