erica danielle

Hoping to bring Friday Favorites back into my blogging life for a time. So here I go! 1.Kinnickinnic hike with mom, And cousins on Tuesday. We all agreed the fall like weather was great for hiking, but we’ll take some 80’s (because it is still August!) The kids did awesome, I think we went nearly 2 miles with limited complaints!  2.Watching big brother be amazing on his bike. Olle loves having an audience and I love watching him excel in anything! He’s a machine! This night was perfect. Summer nights can’t be beat.  3.My lunch everyday this week. I recently fell in love with soft boiled eggs. They are soooo creamy and delicious. So easy to make too. Eggs in cold water. Let boil. Set timer for 6 mins. Put directly into ice bath. Peel. Enjoy!  Lastly. No pictures taken, but we had both 4K orientation and Kindergarten orientation this week. And I think it’s going to be a great year. I’m so excited for my kids. ♥️ Happy Friday. xo. edc. 

It’s Tuesday morning and the cousins are all watching PJ Masks while I sip my coffee and have some quiet time before our day gets started. We are on day 2 of cousin hangout and the kids did awesome last night. We’re hiking at Kinnickinnic State Park with grandma this morning and I’m hoping to throw in a park play too. That sounds fun to me. Being outside with a van load of kids that I love. I love being an aunt. XO edc.

my little Italian/Swedish baby. I love him so much!!!!!! Seriously.  Why is he so cute?!? xo. edc

We've got an open morning/afternoon today and the kids are watching a cartoon, after playing cars loudly in the kitchen, banging them together in an intricate world of make believe. These are the days. I feel it, really deep. These are the ones I am going to look back on and say: remember when.... I am trying a new tactic this week, letting my kids grow up. I don't want to be viewed as a mom who is trying to hold on to something that needs to be let go of. It is not easy for me, especially as fall comes and new chapters unfold for my BABIES. But I'm working on it. I'm also working on me. Trying to be my healthiest self in order to make home a place where we all want to be. That means books on the couch, when I should be folding laundry, painting nails when the windows could really use a good clean, and going outside to watch Olle ride his "2-wheeler" instead of looking at my phone. It's hard to stay in the moment, but when I do, I feel like I've just e...

Today Jessica had her first day back at school. I’m so sad. I know it’s not the start of school for us, but it feels like summer is definitely coming to a close. We have so much fun with cousins during the summer and I enjoy every minute I get to spend with Jessica. We spent yesterday at the MOA with cousies riding rides and building at LEGOland and it was the perfect way to usher out Sumner 2019– although I think it made today even harder. I’m glad Jessica does what she does September-June but selfishly I wish she wasn’t so gifted at teaching and that she didn’t have a heart for her students and I got to hang out with her all year long. xo. edc.

One of my fav weekends of the summer-- dinner club at Rita and Randy's cabin this past weekend. Reasons it was awesome: - no kids (besides Sigge) - really beautiful place - great workouts - amazing food - amazing wine - boat ride - women's retreat planning - evening bonfires - lazy mornings reading and talking about the enneagram - so relaxing If I could spend every Thursday- Saturday like that I would :) Thanks for the great weekend Dinner Club. You sure are special. The whole crew. Unfortunately you can't see Mikes face, only his legs. LOL Post dock workout. Let's talk about this breakfast charcuterie! WHAT?!? boat life with my fav. Sigge + Asparagus bonfire + hammerschlagen the girlies. so thankful for these friends XO. edc.

Feels like being away for a short week at Bay Lake is a distant memory, but earlier this month we were enjoying boat rides, fishing, endless swimming and lots of sand time. These 3 make vacation equal parts fun and exhausting. She loves to take silly pics. Something was HILARIOUS. They were little buds all week. beach snacks. I spy 2 loons. endless fishing. ice cream at Auntie Em's. summer baby. All the rolls. Such a special place! xo. edc.

How can it be that we have been with this guy for 1/2 a year?? We love him SO much. This month he’s been gnawing (gumming) peppers, cucumbers, carrots, chicken... anything I can hand to him that he won’t choke on, and some soft avocado as well. It’s fun to put him in his high chair at meal times and have him “eat” with us. The kids ask me every time I give him something if the doctor said I could... “mom, did the dr say he could have that????” I think they know I like to push the envelope a little and they are trying to keep me on track. Sigge loves his siblings and they are the ones that get him to laugh harder than the rest of us can. He thinks they are hilarious. Especially when they are sliding down slides or jumping up and falling down. Or singing and dancing. Nothing gets him going more than that. I fail to find words that describe how much of a gift Sigge is. I wonder if my parents were this enamored with me— if all parents feel this way about their last baby??? My biggest ...

Saturday: waiting right now to leave for my run.  I think Kate and I will run through north Hudson and to the Stillwater bridge and back. This will be 60 miles for  me this week, which feels so good. Then today we will: - let Sten get out for a run when I get home. Woohoo! He’s put in almost 25 miles this week. - fold a load of laundry - meet Up with great grandma Kay and Dave and Joanie - go to Trader Joe’s for a few staples I’m out of - enjoy a bike ride with my Lucy girl - prep and plan my meals this week - read my new running books. This is going to be a good day. xo edc Also. Jessica bought this outfit for Sigge and I’m obsessed.

Lucy rode her bike with no training wheels today! At the beginning of the summer I told her that she’ll  be able to do the monkey bars at the park and ride her bike without training wheels all by the end of the summer and we are 2 for 2! I was so proud of her I cried. I know this isn’t a big deal for most kids (or maybe it is, idk) but athletic endeavors do not come naturally to this girl. She’s got a million other talents that no one else has, but she’s the first to admit she’s not overly sporty.... with that being said I think she grew 5 inches today with how much she surprised herself and was just so stinkin’ proud of herself  all afternoon long. I can’t even think about it without tearing up. GAHHHH! I just love her so much. This stage is just incredible. She’s such an innocent child but teetering on the edge of mature girl. She’s accomplished a lot this summer, and to say I’m honored to be able to witness these things first hand would be a gross understatement. She’s ga...

This bond is something special. These two play play play nonstop lately. It’s truly adorable and when I get the chance to listen in to what they say to each other while playing whatever they’re playing I just laugh and smile and sometimes cry a little because it’s so sweet. I know this stage is fleeting. So I’m soaking it in and praying that they stay buddies forever. ♥️ edc.

We got to see Pete and Anne and meet baby Henrik last month. It was the best. Their family is back in the states from sweden for just a couple weeks so I felt so honored that we got to spend time with them. Anne’s first baby and Lucy were 8 days apart, and Sigge and Henrik are 5 days apart. What?!? We think these babes look a little bit alike. It will be fun to see them grow. Having friends who totally get ministry life and seek to encourage you constantly is like the greatest gift. So thankful for these friends. It was sad to say goodbye! I just love this picture!  xo. edc.

So proud of my girl. She was fearless at the pool the other day and took her test for the pink wrist band. This test is jumping in the deep end, treading water for 30 seconds, going straight to a 10 second front float and then back to treading for 10 more seconds without ever stopping or touching anything and she passed! Now she can be in the pool at the Y without me there (which feels like something I could never do). We celebrated with $1 cones at McDonald’s. I love how brave this girl is in the water. She wants to be a swim teacher when she grows up and I’d say she is well on her way! ♥️♥️♥️ Love you Lucy 🐻.  xo. edc. 

I have not been keeping up with all the happenings. My aunt and uncle from Pennsylvania came to my parents cabin in July for a long weekend and we spent almost every waking moment with them! We love uncle dan and how patient he is teaching all the kids how to fish and we love swimming with aunt Pam. I just love these two, and so thankful they take the time to come visit us.  Look at these 2!! ♥️ Nelson’s Ice Cream. It’s only a couple minutes from mom and dads cabin and the kids are convinced it’s the greatest place on earth.  Hope they come back next year!  xo. edc.