letters to our sons | october 2012

black and white boy photography by April Nienhuis

boy child photography by April Nienhuis

Dear Finley
There’s a point in every wedding that just yanks on my heart – the mother-son dance.  I know it’ll be about 20 years before I get the privilege of dancing with you on that special day but I envision it every time I photograph a young man dancing with the first woman who held his heart, his mother.  I apologize now for the huge blubbering mess I will be on that day, at that very moment.  You told me a couple weeks ago that you will always be my baby boy.  You’re the first to run to me and keep me company when I don’t feel well.  You constantly come to me to simply tell me you love me.  You’re always there to protect me when you think I need protection.  You love to help me whenever possible.  I can tell you are going to be a great man – a man that I will be proud to say that I helped raise.  When we dance, those tears will be tears of joy, pride, and happiness and although I will be sending you off to start a new life with the woman of your dreams I know, like you always tell me, that you will always be my baby boy.

Love Mommy

mother and son photography by April Nienhuis
*and a little shot of Finn and me taken by Layla

 Please follow the ‘circle’ by visiting the lovely Emma Wood’s blog!

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Nina - I can’t wait for him to read this some day. Love the picture of you two! :) October 10, 2012 – 11:54 am

Leah Cook - oh I hope he reads this at his wedding!!! beautiful, April. and I love the shot of you and Finn…go Layla!!October 10, 2012 – 3:40 pm

Lacey - I can not NOT tear up at this, April! Finn sounds like such a precious, tender-hearted little guy and he is so blessed to have you has his mama!October 10, 2012 – 4:01 pm

Jes Gwozdz - So sweet! Like Leah said, I hope he reads this on his wedding day. Actually, you should give him this letter on his wedding day. What a special gift!October 10, 2012 – 9:44 pm

April Nienhuis - I never even thought to give him this on his wedding day but that’s a great idea! And maybe include that picture of the two of us with it :) October 10, 2012 – 10:08 pm

Emma Wood - April, your words really touched my heart, as they often do whenever you write about your children. I saw the last image of you on facebook earlier this week and thought how incredibly sweet it was. I think actually that Finley is a lot like my Joe, and I can see the sweetness in him though your lovely images and words. <3October 11, 2012 – 4:23 am

Teresa - You made me cry….and think of how much I love my baby boy….even if he is 27. I hope I’ll get to dance at his wedding one day.October 11, 2012 – 11:31 am

Caroline Jensen - Oh my heart! This is just the most beautiful thing. I love, love this April!October 11, 2012 – 11:49 am

Mikki - What a sweet little guy you have by your side! Your letter to him made me tear up, and yes, I agree with Leah, I love the idea of sharing this with him on his wedding day!October 11, 2012 – 3:01 pm

Jessica Vaughn - The mother/son dance tears me apart every time too now that I have a son.October 11, 2012 – 7:18 pm

jaime lackey - aw such awesome shots of his personality! and love how you are in the last one! arent they always our babies!October 11, 2012 – 8:34 pm

Amii - Oh geez, just read Bree’s letter and now your’s about weddings?!?!?! I’m a mess! I just love that you took a picture with him…I must remember to do this next time!!October 12, 2012 – 9:19 am

Amy Lucy - How do you NOT tear up at that?! Goodness, April! This is so beautifully written. Can you imagine giving this to him on his wedding day? Gorgeous. xoxoOctober 15, 2012 – 11:46 am

Megan Cieloha - I always forget about the mother-son dance… such beautiful words and fantastic images to go with them :) October 16, 2012 – 10:28 pm

Megan - Love these letters and the sweet moments captured on camera. ♡October 23, 2012 – 4:40 pm

Heather - Wow…you have me in tears! Simply beautiful. I feel your love for him! Gorgeous images!October 24, 2012 – 4:28 pm

czarina - oh april! this is just beautiful! your words, your photos… the last one sure is a treasure. it reminds me to be in the photos more often.October 24, 2012 – 10:42 pm

Ashley Spaulding - I totally teared up reading this, April. I can’t wait for Finn to read this and for him to have it to hold onto forever.November 10, 2012 – 10:01 am

back to school

It’s time for another edition of the CMpro blog circle and this month, the circle is forcing to make a confession – we have not started school yet.  If I’m being honest, I’m overwhelmed.  We’ve chosen to home school our children and the thought of choosing one curriculum out of all the ones out there is tough.  Yes, I realize it’s not as life changing as choosing a spouse but there’s still a lot of pressure there and frankly, I’m really confused about what I actually need.  However, I do have lots of pencils, both writing and coloring!  Now I shall slump off and choose some books for my poor neglected children…

back to school pencils by April Nienhuis

Make sure to head on over to my dear friend Jessica Holden’s blog to see her interpretation of back to school.

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Leah Cook - ooooh I looooove all these pretty colors!!! gorgeous, April. and your kids are NOT neglected…you’re just trying to do what’s best for them! :) October 2, 2012 – 8:11 am

Megan - Gorgeous colors, April! Your kids are absolutely not neglected. I imagine that choosing the curriculum is a very difficult and overwhelming decision <3October 2, 2012 – 8:29 am

Anne - Like I just said to Beira, I truly admire families who make the choice of homeschooling. I’d be overwhelmed too ! I’m sure you’ll do fantastic, you just need time <3October 2, 2012 – 9:23 am

Nina - Choosing a curriculum that fits for you and them is hard. Give yourself a week off from thinking about it and start fresh. That’s the beauty of homeschooling! :) Love all the colors in the pictures.October 2, 2012 – 10:32 am

beibro13 - Love your images! I can totally relate. I have been adding in one thing at a time as I make decisions on curriculum. Give yourself a break, like Nina commented. You’ll get it done :) October 2, 2012 – 11:49 am

Jessica - I can’t even imagine how hard homeschooling must be for parents, though I have fantasized about doing it too! Your kids are lucky to have you… And I am sure you will find the PERFECT curriculum for them! Beautiful images!October 2, 2012 – 1:26 pm

christina - ha! This made me laugh :) I”m sure everything will work out beautifully… and speaking of beautiful, I knew I loved these just from seeing the itty bitty FB icon of colors. SO fun!October 2, 2012 – 8:36 pm

Leslie - I can only imagine how difficult that is!!!October 3, 2012 – 5:45 am

Adeena - Pretty pencils! :D

We’re in year… 8? of homeschooling. (Had to do the math. ;)

Don’t feel guilty – we always start in October. We use September to ease back into the school schedule. :) October 5, 2012 – 10:19 pm

she likes to dance

The girl has skillz.  Try not to be jealous.

toddler dance moves

She’s pretty pleased with herself.

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celestejones - she’s adorable!September 25, 2012 – 12:42 pm

Amy - love, love, love! and wanna dance with her! xSeptember 25, 2012 – 12:48 pm

Nina - The faces she is making is too much. Adorable! :) September 25, 2012 – 1:24 pm

Narelle - It is impossible to not grin really big when looking at these. Too adorable!September 25, 2012 – 6:21 pm

Pam - I gotta say, she’s pretty fab!September 25, 2012 – 6:22 pm

Randa - These are fantastic. And she is precious!October 1, 2012 – 8:39 am

Megan - Oh, how I love this set ♡October 3, 2012 – 1:01 am

wedding photographers in tampa - You have a fun way of documenting life. Very enjoyable pictures to look through! Found your through Paper Heart Camera – FYI.November 1, 2012 – 8:41 pm

April Nienhuis - Thanks everyone!November 2, 2012 – 4:34 pm

letters to our sons | september 2012

Today is the mark of both a beginning and an ending.  Today is the last day of my 365 project on The Daily Project (you can view all of my daily images here).  It has been the most challenging photography project ever (and my third attempt I might add) but it has been so incredibly rewarding.  While I will not continue with another 365 and posting on The Daily Project consistently I promise to crash the party over there every now and then.  However, today I begin a wonderful new project with some of the most amazing female photographers I know.  On the tenth day of every month we will each post photos of our son(s) with a letter and link to each other to form an internet ‘circle’.  I’m a woman of few words so my letters may be short but for me, this is the perfect project to move forward with!


This was an exciting month for you, you turned five and I finally finished your awesome new Avengers bedroom, but it’s been rough too.  You’ve had a multitude of doctor’s appointments and while they weren’t for anything major I know you don’t really like going.  You spent your birthday snuggled up in my bed sick.  You had to do some skin testing for you environmental allergies (you were a champ though!) which we know have gotten worse and are giving you a hard time.  I finally thought you were over all this crummy stuff and now you’ve got strep throat and can hardly eat your beloved tacos.  Your Daddy and I can’t always keep the germs away but keeping you safe and healthy is one of our biggest concerns.  There have been many discussions between the two of us lately about the choices we have to make to ensure your (and your sister’s) safety and while the decisions we make may be a ‘no-brainer’ it’s not always easy and it sometimes hurts.  While you may not always understand the choices we make, we hope that you will trust us because we love you and your sisters more than anything.  You, sweet Finn, are our superhero!

 

Please follow the ‘circle’ by visiting Ashley Spaulding’s blog!

 

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leah cook - what a cool room, Finn!!! wonderful post, April…you are such a good mommy to your little ones.September 10, 2012 – 9:16 am

Ashley Spaulding - Awesome room, Finn…you fit in well!! April, it just dawned on me this morning that I, too, and finishing the Daily Project on the same day that I’m starting this one. So excited to be embarking on this new journey with you, too!September 10, 2012 – 10:22 am

Jes Gwozdz - A superhero with a super mama – a match made in heaven! Love this letter.September 10, 2012 – 10:28 am

Jessica Vaughn - How fun! You can see how much he loves his superheroes!September 10, 2012 – 11:32 am

Amii - I love that your little superhero has a superhero bedroom now because of his super mom! LOVE your images, April!September 10, 2012 – 1:02 pm

Julia - Now THIS is one cool kid!! I love how clearly into this shoot he was, and I’m so, so happy to be a part of this project with you!September 10, 2012 – 3:21 pm

Megan Cieloha - Such a strong kid :) Someday Finn will read this and be reminded just how much his Mommy and Daddy loved him through their actions to keep him as safe and healthy as possible <3September 10, 2012 – 10:33 pm

Bre Thurston - That’s the toughest, cutest superhero I’ve ever seen!September 10, 2012 – 11:10 pm

Amy Lucy Lockheart - Oh sweet Finley! He is so adorable in his superhero outfit (and he’s looking very tough, too)! You do a wonderful job of protecting your children, and Finley may not understand everything now but he will someday. Beautiful letter, April. xoxoSeptember 11, 2012 – 8:08 pm

Elle - You are a super-mom, April – and I loved reading your heartfelt words <3 Finley is adorable, and you've captured so much personality in these – just gorgeous!September 12, 2012 – 4:07 am

Megan - Loved this post, super momma… Finn looks awesome in his super hero suit. And his room is super cool. ♡September 19, 2012 – 8:30 pm

playtime

I fell off the CMpro blog circle wagon but I’m back and it feels good!  This month’s theme was playtime which was in abundance in August.  We’ve dealt with sweltering heat and humidity but it finally cooled down enough to enjoy some time outdoors on the slip-n-slide but we managed to keep occupied indoors with bullets and bed jumping too.  I never knew the joy I would have by simply watching my children play and have a good laugh together.

Please go and visit my dear friend Melissa’s blog and view her incredible view of playtime.

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Allison Jacobs - Sometimes it is the everyday moments that mean the most! Love the jumping on the bed – we have that going on at our house too!September 2, 2012 – 4:24 am

leah cook - so FUN. love your littles, April :) September 2, 2012 – 9:45 am

Jessica - Love these–they are just too cute!September 2, 2012 – 12:04 pm

Megan - I love all of these, April– your kiddos are so cute! :) September 2, 2012 – 3:13 pm

christina - yay –glad to have you back! So fun, and I can hear her laughing in the last one :) September 2, 2012 – 3:34 pm

jodi - i always love seeing your images of your kiddos… you capture them in such a real way. i just adore your work, april! looks like you’ve had lots of fun lately!September 3, 2012 – 9:30 am

Laura A - So fun! Love the perspective of the first one!September 3, 2012 – 12:08 pm

Colie J - I just love them all but number 2 is just awesome. I feel like I am being held up ;) September 4, 2012 – 8:14 am

gigi - So happy you’re back April! These are wonderful – I adore the second one!!September 4, 2012 – 10:08 pm

Beira - Oh I love these! I love the perspective of the first one with the blurred grass leading up to your baby. That second one is very bold!September 5, 2012 – 1:11 pm

Melissa - Okay. That shot of Finn with the Nerf gun is my new favorite! And I can’t believe we made it through the whole summer without a Splash Dunk. :D September 10, 2012 – 6:16 pm

back to school » April Nienhuis - [...] time for another edition of the CMpro blog circle and this month, the circle is forcing to make a confession – we have not started school [...]October 2, 2012 – 8:02 am