erica danielle

 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. 

 10 days left of November 💛 with some of the best things yet to come: Thanksgiving, anniversary celebration, and decorating for Christmas! Thankful for Grampy who was Sigge’s special guest at the Preschool Thanksgiving Celebration 💛 Also thankful for our Monday staff meetings. There is something special about reviewing Sunday, hearing everyone’s wins in ministry, learning how to be better together and last, but not least, playing ping pong together— Jonathan and I happened to be only 1 game down on Lexi and Sten and I can almost taste the feeling of sweet victory!  xo. edc.

 Thankful today for the sweetest video watch here Also thankful for the trampoline that our neighbors gave us. I’m not always the best at playing with the kids, but give me a trampoline and I can play ALLLLLL the games. Butt wars, mummy mummy come alive, bubble gum in a dish, crack the egg…. I am so down for them. I actually enjoy jumping on a trampoline. It makes me feel alive! And there is just enough wimsy to make you feel like you’re a kid in a candy shop.  It was a good Sunday. My parents and Miss. Missy came to church which made my day, we ate lunch and then bummed around the house and then played outside… sten and I got out for a quick date and now it’s Vikes time! 💜 💛! Last: remember when Lucy jumped off this bridge? I do. She’s my hero ❤️ xo. edc. 

We did 24 hours up north at Bay Lake and it was really great. There is nothing I haven’t already said about this place and the gift it’s been to our family.  On the way home sten and I were talking about how Lucy’s been storing up 10 years of memories here. That’s a lot.  We do not deserve this place, but I think that’s the point sometimes, God provides, and we never deserve his lavish gifts.  This picture is so awkward, but these 3 are the best.  2 mile walk — which included a lot of racing against mom and dad and surprisingly minimal complaining.  Cheddar brats for lunch over the fire.  Games outside > games inside  Sparkling Water  Sten: my favorite  The boys went out fishing 🎣  Lucy and I cold plunged! And it was COLD!  one of the best 24 hrs one could ask for. xo. edc.   

 Wasn’t expecting to wear shorts on November 16th, nor a tank top for that matter. Felt so good to run without layers on and feel the sun and sweat on my body. THANKFULLLL! Also: love this girl Haley. I’m thankful for her. She’s taught me how to love nature in a new way. She’s the kindest human you’ll meet and cheers people on in ways that I never thought possible.  xo. edc. 

  Everything in life feels very crumbly. My car got swiped at the end of October and won’t be done in the shop until December, we’re going through a lot of things personally, Sigge has 8 cavities (did I mention that😂) and our washing machine stopped working last week and I can’t get a repair man to come until a week from Monday…. Sigge and I packed up and headed to Tumble Fresh and I feel thankful for a very clean/easy to use laundromat in my town.  xo edc. 

 I was trying to think of things I am having a hard time being thankful for. It’s easy to say I’m thankful for my family, the sun and running. I love all those things. We spent an hour at the dentist yesterday getting Sigges 4 out of 8 cavities filled! What?!? Talk about having major mom guilt. I clearly have not been brushing his teeth. But yesterday at dinner Sigge was praying and he said:  “Dear God, Thank you for these noodles and for this yogurt and for Lincoln playing with me today, and thank you for filling my cavities. Amen.” And it was the most beautiful thing. Because here he is with a numb left side, thanking God for something that feels so “un-thank-worthy”. But it really made me think. I am thankful that we have insurance and that my kids get to have teeth. I’m thankful that we really love our dentist and the office we go to is clean and safe and everyone is friendly. I’m thankful that when we get a dental bill for 8 baby cavities we have money to pay it because G...

I love looking back at pictures. What a gift to have a million pictures of happy memories in our phones.  I love seeing how little my kids were. My change in hairstyles, glasses or clothing. I love remembering how carefree I felt in these moments and how much more these pictures mean to me 1, 5, 10, 15 years later…. Olle’s 3rd birthday at Portage Lake. I love Lucy peeking out from behind my shoulder. This was a happy day celebrating our buddy.  Isla Mujeres. My favorite place on the earth.  Selfie-stick at Lucette with my favorite peeps. We all look like babies.  A very happy moment on the boat at Bay Lake- these 2 have done a lot of life together and I love seeing them have fun together. A visit to CO - love spending time with these very special people.  A hike while staying at Blue Fin Bay. Look at this guy so ready for adventure  A visit to Emily and a sunset view on the bridge 🌉  Me and my guy Sigster. Always together.  These are not my favor...

 50 degrees on November 13th?? Yes!  Invited Haley to weitkamp and all the sudden Elise showed up too! 3/5 Badlands Babes take on the park! The sun was shining, the kids were running their little hearts out and I got to catch up with friends!   I’m always thankful for bright blue skies, brisk-but-not-too-brisk temps and sun in my eyeballs.  I also love and am so thankful watching Sigge play. 🥹 xo.edc.  

 Pops. Thankful for my dad today. Wish I would have remembered to get a pic during his last time preaching at Crossroads… but at least I documented this momentous day by 2 photos to celebrate this chapter coming to an end. Dad is a good one. So very loving and so very authentically himself. I know this to be true when talking to a long time church member who drove from Iowa that morning to make it to the 2nd service in time to hear my dads last message. Glad he’s ours.  Lucy got the best seat in the house to watch the Vikings games :) I self-timered this pic and I know people may get sick of my picture requests, but come on! This is a keeper!! Thankful for my dad. xo. edc. 

I’m thankful for the organization Together For Good. They work to help parents in crisis keep their family together by offering support, short term childcare, and providing and meeting everyday needs.  Midcurrent has officially partnered with TFG and that makes me so happy. Last night we went to their gala downtown. I left feeling so thankful for an organization that is clearly living out Gods call on our lives. To come alongside vulnerable families so they never have to walk alone.  Our table was such a fun group of friends and Sten and I got all dressed up. I’m glad we went, it was a super great night. 🤍 xo. edc