erica danielle

Trader Joe’s flowers. Bc did you know we got snow today. I guess we cannot declare winter over :( The way Sigge writes his name. Melts me.  The sign of a sourdough loaf ready to make.  10 1/2 for this amazing kid who I love with my whole heart.  Friday afternoon with our favorite little dude. Drinking Mexican cola and doing alllllll the activities  My ultimate Friday Favorite: Sten. Not sure there will ever be a favorite that tops him. ♥️  ✌️ and ❤️ xo. edc.   

 We had a total “little house on the prairie” moment yesterday for approximately 30 minutes while I was reading the secret garden and all 3 kids were coloring before bed. It was one of those moments that you don’t want to end.  Have you read Secret Garden as an adult? It is magical. Everything about it. Lucy seems a little less interested than I thought she would be. I, on the other hand, am absorbed by it. I love the language, the imagery, the storyline and the characters. I love the way it makes me feel like I’m there. In the garden watching Colin get strong and listening to children play and experience truly living life. I wish this were my children’s childhood. Tromping through gardens, watching them grow. So full of fresh air that they have ravenous appetites and eat the food I make them 😂  Anyway, for one short moment yesterday I had an idyllic picture of what I thought motherhood would look like (when I was a naive young 20-yr old who didn’t have kids of her own) ...

Happy Spring Break 2024!  Did we hit the SB weather jackpot or what?!? It’s been insanely beautiful outside- and we have been taking full advantage.  Bike ride to the park Baseball in the front yard Lots of porch sitting  Lucy got a new cutie reveal We went to St. Paul and hung out with the Bernard’s after their work/school Sten and I went out for a sunny date night.  We stayed up until the sun went down and sten got in the ring for an epic gaga ball match.  Then we packed up and headed to Bay Lake where upon arrival we were greeted with sunny skies and a glistening lake. Lucy and Sigge were under the weather, but we were hopeful some fresh Bay Lake air + relaxing would be just what they needed. Bowling, swimming, cards by the fire, eating out (!) and lots of snuggles. It was a great end to our Spring Break ♥️ Hoping the next 2.5 months of school fly by and summer is here quick.  xo. edc. 

 Feels like it’s been a while. Because it has! I turned 38! I went away on a girls night and then flew to Arizona and then we went to Chicago for a couple days… PHEW 😮‍💨!  Back to a normal week full of lots of loads of laundry, sourdough, swims at the Y, bikes on the trainer and runs with Haley.  My biggest goal of 38 is to be able to do 3 pull ups by the time I’m 39. I know this is achievable, I just need to figure out how I can get a system at home. I’m not upstairs at the Y enough to depend solely on their pull up bar.  Another goal I wrote in my journal on my birthday is this: I want to surround myself with people who build me up, so I can pour out and feel fulfilled by the work in the church and the power of the Holy Spirit alive in people. I want to sit in wonder and amazement of my family and soak it in. I want to be present for the highs and lows and cheerlead through it all. I want to feel strong, and I want my choices to reflect that. I want to live with ...

Sten was in CO last week filling his “unicorn space”  (<— have you read that book?) with all the things that make him interesting. Music, family and fishing. I was so glad we could let him go. I hope it was a total bucket filler for him and the break he ABSOLUTELY deserved. But boy, did we miss him. The kids were amazing, but not having my companion home was hard for me. We picked him up from the airport on Wednesday and we all excitedly wanted to be the one talking to him and getting his attention. Welcome home Sten. You were missed.  Olle got his haircut and we think he looks like a total stud. As usual  It was sunny.  Sigge and I biked to the park in matching vests and it was the slowest bike ride of my life. We were averaging 20 minute miles. I think I could have crawled faster. I kept telling myself to be patient and to enjoy it and you know what? That worked! I did enjoy it and I loved watching his legs sllllllowwwwwwly pedal.  We then brought a blanket...

 I’ve recently decided I really enjoy writing. I can’t say that this has always been true for me. I started this blog because I wanted to be a food blogger and I thought the Pioneer Woman was cool.  Who knew that exactly 13 years later (happy anniversary blog) I’d still have my little bloggy. I do still cook a lot, but now this documents my life and not my kitchen. and while I still refer to it for some recipes, I mostly look back to see what I was doing in June of 2016 or March of 2021 or when it was we took that one vacation to the the Dells where Lucy was wearing that adorable 2 piece and I should have been wearing self tanner because it was the middle of winter.  I stumbled upon a “writing prompts” list the other day and one said to think about your favorite song lyrics. And that felt crazy to me because I have been thinking about the lyrics to a specific song for a while now.  Here are a few of my favorite lines from the song Start a Band by Steve Moakler. Es...

 I’m happiest when … I’m running hard and my muscles feel fresh. When the sun is hitting my skin and I feel like I’m flying. There’s not a care circling around my brain nor a list of what needs to be done. When I’m running hard, but it feels easy, everything seems to shed off me. I leave all my problems on the road and tell myself I am the fastest runner in the world  I notice for the first time that the days are getting longer. These are the days when we mix up an old fashioned and bring the Lego bin outside and a football and possibly even a book. And sometimes we stay outside too long and I don’t have time to fix dinner and so we throw in a frozen pizza. We are all so stuffed of spring time and fresh air that we are happy, and bedtime is easy and life feels somewhat like I imagine heaven to feel like.  A plan is made to see people I love. Whether it is just our family of 5, extended family, or friends, the idea of a gathering gets me excited. I like to host, and althou...