erica danielle

Family Camp was wonderful. The week flew by, we filled our days with all things camp, and literally never stopped moving until our heads hit the pillow each night. I love making memories here. I love how much fun the kids have, how easy it is to parent and how surrounded we are by such amazing people all week long. "camp cookers" our Pictionary team took 2nd place! We were lucky enough to spend a day extra at Lauren's condo after camp and we soaked up our time at the big lake. playing, jumping off the pier and getting buried in sand :) Frank and Janice offered us use of their boat for a cruise! Sten and I motored along the Michigan coast and loved being out on top of the water! We stopped at Chateau Grand Traverse on our way out of town. I love this spot so much. Sparklers, swimming and a bonfire  Because of the wildfire smoke I didn't make it to the point and back this year :( But I got in lots of beautiful runs and I did run TO the point, just not back :) Sten parti...

Olle man turned 11 on Friday. I love who he is and I love that I get to see glimpses of potentially who he will be.  He is into:  Sports — any kind, any way. Playing, watching, researching, collecting, talking, wearing.  Traditions. He’s always been our best guy at loving what the family loves. Camp, Swedish pancakes at Christmas with White Christmas, Lucette on meet the teacher night, Bay Lake everything, football catches off the boat at Big C, trick-or-treating with cousins… he loves them all.  Never have I ever met someone so competitive. This leads to his greatness and also contributes to what may be his Achilles heel.  He loves wings. And pancakes He’s a natural leader. Kids flock to him. He’s got a winning smile and a kind heart.  He’s recently been reading the Harry Potter books and flying through them. I think they are the right amount of fun and suspense. I love seeing him belly down in his room mid-day immersed in a book.  He’s not overly aff...

This view from the upper deck at Willow never gets old. I love it so much.  Pickleball with friends.  My very favorite walk.  A 1776 workout that was hard, fun, and made me sore.  Matching headbands. Tiny joys.  My parents flag. I want a flag on our front stoop! Celebrations for 2 cool guys: Olle and Grampy Family playing wiffle ball.  Walkers love for Olle.  Kids on a wall. Adorable.  Fireworks 🎆! My daily sudokus on the front porch with coffee.  xo. edc.   

I had this type of epiphany the other day. I think we keep waiting for this "busy season" to end and for life to slow down a little bit. The pace is fast-- not necessarily the days themselves, but the weeks, the months, the years... And what I've come to realize is that the pace won't slow down. Kids that are growing means time flies, there are many places to be, people to see, sports to play, experiences to be had. I think I'm lying to myself if I say: after summer things will slow down, or after fall we'll catch our breath. Because in this season of raising kids that aren't babies-- there is no slow season. And it's weird to process this in real time. I suppose the reality of it is that I have been processing this for a couple years now. There was The Before , and The Now . Before was when my kids were little, we spent our days meeting up with friends, swimming in pools that wore them out so much that I'd stuff some food in their mouths and get...