erica danielle

Halfway through our goal of reaching 12 dates this year. Our neighbor Jaeden cane over to watch Lucy and Olle from 3-5p yesterday and Sten and I sat on the patio at the Nova with wine and apps.... and Sigge. It was wonderful. When we pulled up I could tell sten wanted to sit inside (it was 90 degrees), but luckily I convinced him that come January, we’ll be wishing we were sitting outside on a patio drinking wine. And as he loves to make me happy he gave in and we were both glad for the little breeze and shade.  We’re 1/3 of the way through summer and it feels like it’s flying. I know July will go fast as well, so we are soaking it all in. All the heat. All the sun and all the time with friends and cousins. But with that speedy rhythm, comes a little less time for just our family. So it was really nice to just sit with Sten and enjoy being together. Already looking forward to our July date.  xo. edc. 

First cousin day at the cabin. And these 2 really stole the show. They dug all day to make a huge hole. I had to leave for a portion of the afternoon, but I got picture updates and by the time 5pm rolled around- the hole was deemed complete. These 2 boys are very special. ♥️ xo. edc

my favorite sight: a fully stocked veggie container. xo. edc.

Little Sigge boy is up early with me today, sten is at the gym working out and I am enjoying the big kids sleeping, the sun streaming through the windows and the promise of a warm sunny day. I woke up grateful for my amazing family and friends- as these people make my life rich and whole. Here’s to a happy Wednesday! xo. edc.

I’m overdue on Sigge's 4 month update. But life is fun with the Sig-ster these days. He’s finally happier, and doesn’t cry nonstop. He goes to other people and I feel like I’ve finally figured out his signals. He loves to sleep. Loves to be held, loves to eat, loves to be tickled under his chin, tolerates baths, tolerates his siblings craziness, tolerates the car and hates getting put down when he wants to be held. Summer with him has been so different. Long gone are the days of basking in the sun, now I bee-line it for the shade and slather him in sunscreen inevitably getting a lot on myself. Being at the park with the kids is also proving to be tough because I have to hold him the entire time, so I really can’t help them with the monkey bars or other equipment. I’m thankful that for the most part they don’t equate him taking up my time. Speaking of Lucy and Olle.... they love him. Lucy more than I thought possible. She talks to him nonstop and never seems bothered when he cry-s...

It was the longest day of the year on Friday. I celebrated by waking up with the birds, reprioritizing my morning, thinking about my summer mantra, eating my veggies and eggs breakfast, cleaning my kitchen, running, doing a short yoga workout and ending the night with a porch sit. It’s sad to think the days are now getting shorter, what a magical time of year this is. I have decided on routine as my summer mantra. I have worked really hard this year to put some really good habits into place and I feel happiest and healthier when I stick to them. At first the word adventure came to mind when thinking of a mantra, but I have enough adventures in my life at this point :). Routine for me means getting up at the same time each morning (5a) and reading , working out, putting in a load of laundry, starting each day thankful and ready for whatever comes. I’ve also made quiet hour mandatory for Lucy and Olle, so I have a break in the middle of my day. I’m eating better and trying to stop eati...

I’ve been so enjoying my long runs lately. Each week I’ve been increasing my long run mileage to correspond with how many weeks Sigge is. This week will be 18. I’ve been fortunate to have some friends along for some of the miles. Last week my sister in law did 8.5 with me! The other week I ran downtown and Hailley met me for a few miles. The water was like glass. She lives up on top of Birkmose Park overlooking the 94 bridge. I had to stop and take a picture. It was PERFECT. Thankful for legs that move, podcasts to learn from, friends to chat with, sten, who always picks up the slack while I’m gone, and little Sigge-boy who is already challenging me to be better. xo. edc .

Our first year of school complete! It was so sweet watch Lucy walk down the aisle in her little cap and get her diploma and big hug from Miss Mollie. Her preschool program was impressive! They sang the 50 states song, the ABC’s backwards and a couple others. This year I’ve watched her excitement for learning grow and grow and her enthusiasm for new friends blossom. She sure is a special girl and I’m so glad we got to share her with Miss Mollies afternoon 4K class. Keep shining bright, Lucy girl. You are a gift.

Father’s Day 2019. Every holiday is extra special with one more family member. Sigge was loving dad on Sunday and finally is realizing what the rest of us have always known: that Sten is the greatest!! When holidays land on a Sunday it’s hard to make the day relaxing because we’re out the door early and busy at church all morning. But we still managed to eat steaks and take a boat ride around big C. I also felt so honored to be upstairs on Sunday as he sang and talked about the legacy his dad left on his life. It was a really special morning. I hope Sten never forgets how amazing he is as a dad. He’s the best at explaining words, making sense of spats between Lucy and Olle, popcorn maker extraordinaire and he’s always ready for a good tackle session. Not to mention the love he has for us rivals none. We couldn’t be more lucky. Happy Father’s Day Sten! xo. edc

We kicked off summer by pulling Lucy from her last day of school and heading up north. To say we had a good time would be an understatement. We hung out with cousins, went on boat rides  🚣‍♀️ , went out for ice cream 🍦, went for lots of runs 🏃‍♀️ , and played nonstop. The kids all slept in until 9 the morning after we got home. Bay Lake is as special as they come and so are the people in this first picture. 😍

Our friends invited us over for baseball at their tree farm on Sunday. It was the start of a super cute tradition. Olle was as excited as I’ve seen him in a while. And Lucy was really great at eating snacks on the sidelines. Love that we have so many little boys growing up together. They will make a pretty amazing baseball team someday!!! So cute. xo. edc

We made it out to Willow River this past weekend to do our first tent camping trip as a family of 5. As someone who loves adventure and nature, camping is one of my favorite ways to vacation. We wanted to test the water with our new addition, and I must say, he did really well. We love Willow River and especially the 300 campground and this year we realized there was a sweet playground super near to us, so we spent a lot of time there watching the kids make friends and go down the fireman pole a million times. I recently listened to a podcast on toddler brain development and how playgrounds are one of the best ways for brain growth and health. I love that! Anyway— camping was so fun, we came home full of bug spray, sunscreen and dirt. The sign of a good time! xo. edc. sign of a really good time :)