erica danielle

 Merry Christmas from me and my tiny corner of the world. I’m thankful for this memory keeper and the stamp it marks on time. 2023 was a year of growth for me in many ways and I think I’ll look back and be extra grateful for this year and all the things I learned.  2023 was also a year of loving my family and being my best and giving my all into making our home tick. I loved our lake time together and feel immensely grateful for the opportunity to make memories in really beautiful places.  I’ve come to the realization this year more than ever how much is right in front of me. No need to look back or strain to see what’s coming next. God has given me so much. Here’s what I have.  I have a church that continues to pour into my kids and teach them that a life with Jesus > a life on our own. Olle made the best decision of his life and went public with his choice to follow Jesus and getting baptized this year.  I have a hobby that brings me insane amounts of joy. ...

Movie Night at church = success Pretzels that are so addicting.  Anything Goes at the RF HS with my main girl.  Staying strong on our Sunday Dates.  Sigges Christmas concert Cookie day with Linc and Sig Christmas Spectacular #2. Christmas light scoping with hot cocoa and Jammie’s.  SUNSHINE.  Sigges art.  Deck of card workouts with the boys DT run with the badland babes.  Santa Lucia with my Lucy who brings light into the world every single day of her life  Field trip to Peter Pan at the Ordway Gingerbread house competition, girls won for the 5th(?) year in a row White Christmas with Swedish Pancakes and all the Christmas plates.  Staff Swedish Christmas Dinner Party Jingle Run and Del Este date with my girl Haley Winter walk with the sissy’s + cousies around Lake Phalen.  I’ve been focusing on what’s RIGHT in front of me this December based on a really wise friend telling me to. And what’s right in front of me is really special and God ...

 Thankful for a perfect blue sky run today, an awesome swim, a quiet afternoon of calligraphy and coloring with Sigge and a delicious dinner of leftovers at home.  Today was a day of the mundane, and where that used to be so dreadful to me, has become the days I’m most grateful for. I loved today. Everything about it and as I finish out 30 days of thankfulness I love ending here. On a day that was so ordinary, yet so full of joy. Haley and I caught sight of these deer on the purple trail at Willow and that felt so awesome!! Bring on December!  xo.edc. 

 It was a good day today.  Sten and I woke up, got pastries and coffee and went for a long walk in Stillwater. Then we tried out Melt Pizza before heading back to reality and responsibilities. Our overnight was everything I could have asked for and more!! Sigge and I did arthub for kids, made turtles, and then went outside and worked on some porch pots, hung up lights and played outside.  Sten and I decided each Wednesday until Christmas we’d have “Wednesday Christmas Spectaculars” and kicked off week one with strolling around downtown and seeing the lights and then going to Lolo for kiddie cocktails and some card games. Week one was a total success.  I’m thankful for this day. Every part of it.  xo. edc. 5 mile Stillwater loop then hike up the stairs. Good for the body and soul.  This pizza was to die for! I want to go back asap Sigge is AMAZING at drawing. He did this all by himself.  This is the perfect “baked good” for a 4 yr old to help with. He l...

 Obvi today I’m thankful for Sten. 15 years?!? How did we get here?  If you want to take a trip down memory lane with me you can: Here  and here  and here  and here  and here  and here I say the same thing every year… But it really is true. Sten is my biggest cheerleader and he makes me feel loved every single day. He’s the best dad to our kids and I couldn’t think of a better partner for me. Sten is funny, kind, thoughtful, caring, fun, witty, competitive, introspective, self-aware, and incredibly handsome. I don’t know how I got so lucky.  We headed out for an anniversary getaway in Stillwater and our 24 hours were magical. I love being with Sten. I love talking about anything and everything and I especially love when we dream about what life will look like for us in the future.  I never want to stop dreaming with sten. It’s my favorite part of my life.  xo.edc. 

 I’m thankful that our washing machine got fixed today! I happily did 5 loads of laundry.  I’ll never take that puppy for granted again.  xo. edc. 

 Today I’m thankful for Midcurrent. I spent 11 hours at church today and I was telling Sten as I was home for 2.5 short hours over lunch that I’m a little tired. I feel like I’m stretched a little thin. But then at the very same time I feel like God has given me so so so much to be thankful for in the walls of our little church. Like: Olle helping with coffee set up today and his sweet little writing: “decaf” and “hot water”.  Meeting new people who came to church for the first time and then chose to put themselves out there and come back to church in the evening for a wreath making class Seeing mom and dad walk through the doors of MC! Put a giant smile on my face.  All the people that stepped up to make the wreath class a success.  My kids saying the verse of the month in the back seat on the way home: GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD. HIS FAITH FUL LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.  God IS good. And I will continue to give thanks.  Thankful for church. xo. edc...

  Thankful for: -A run this morning without our headlamps on bc we didn’t go until 7am! -Brunch at home on our Christmas plates -Lucy getting to go to her friends house and being so thankful about it - Foraging through Mary’s woods for greenery for the wreath making party tomorrow - Puzzling with Olle + Sigge - Listening to Lucy read Christmas books to Sigge by the fire - Swedish meatballs and potatoes for dinner with alllllllll the Christmas candles lit - Survivor with Stenny.  Twas a good day. xo. edc. 

 Thankful for improvement! I think I maybeeeee unlocked a new understanding of swimming yesterday and it made me really excited.  I don’t improve a whole lot in running these days. If I do, it’s just because I was resting extra or had a lot of energy that day. But since I had never swam before you get to see results quickly and improvement is so so rewarding! Also thankful for the Y pool.  xo. edc. 

 Thankful for THANKSGIVING! Our annual post thanksgiving meal walk happened through the Stokka woods and it was brisk and wonderful. I am thankful for this family of mine. I looked around at the chaos that was 30 people and felt so grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people. You can just feel it. And you get to be yourself which is really special. As sten was tucking in Lucy last night she said she had so much fun. And I know she did and I think that’s bc she felt like she was seen and cared about. And I love that. That’s the kind of home I always want to have.  Also thankful for this one: sissy. Who forgot her hat and borrowed my cousins 3 year old daughter’s hat for our walk and then didn’t take it off. As we were sitting there warming up with coffee and hot cocoa after the walk I finally just starting dying laughing bc I just could not take her seriously with this sparkly, cat, with tassels “a” hat! Hahahahahahahaha. I still get a kick out of this picture. 😂  ...

  I’m thankful for 1 (20 minute period) of a clean house on this day. We had just finished cleaning and Olle goes “why are you taking a picture?” And I told him I have to document these moments of order because they happen so infrequently and bring me so so much joy.  xo.edc

A thankful haiku:  Flowers bring me joy Handmade vases are special Thankful for them both   xo.edc.