NEW YEAR WELCOMES CHANGE FOR ERP!

New Years Day is one of my very favorite of the year! Something about starting new makes my heart beat a little faster. The excitement of reflecting with gratitude on the yesterdays and facing forward with goals toward what the next year will bring stirs something in me.

As the new year approaches, I try to make a habit of listing the things from the past year that I want not to forget...both those that brought joy and excitement and those that caused pain and growth. I'm comforted by God's presence and plan as I move forward into new and exciting tomorrows.

God made us to start new. Scripture even speaks of a new earth that His children will enjoy in eternity. So doesn't it make since that newness would make our human hearts giddy?!

This New Year brings some change for Everest Road Photography. Throughout it's five and a half years of life, I've watched God provide  for ERP exactly what we needed when we needed it. I've seen God grow my faith as he's protected and provided this gift that has always belonged to him. His kindness has overwhelmed me as I've gotten to sit back and enjoy the ride.

We have been honored to be invited into some extremely intimate moments since 2010. From new life to graduations, our portrait photography business has been an overwhelming blessing. If you follow our blog, you'll note that our very beautiful clients have become like family to us. We've gotten to document as their kids have grown from a mere idea to school aged excitement.

It's bittersweet for me to announce that 2016 brings a timely change for Everest Road. With the new year, Everest Road will be moving away from portrait photography and toward solely Texas Hill Country Wedding Photography.

We are overjoyed at the opportunity to pursue Central Texas brides with our whole focus as we move forward. This will include engagement and bridal portrait work along with our wedding photography packages which include destination weddings.

Once again, I can't say enough how grateful we are for the years we've had to get to know and document beautiful families across Texas. We will forever count these families as valued friends.

So as the streamers explode, champagne glasses are toasted and auld lang syne serenades us in the background, join us in celebrating all that is new this coming year and standing grateful for all that has been given to us in the year that's passed.

colorado | family vacation

A few weeks ago we packed up our family, jumped on a plane and got to spend a week in Estes Park with Evan's family. It was a wonderful time and, by the way, I caught a fish with a fly reel. I feel pretty awesome about it. 

Just thought I'd share a few pics from the trip.

summertime

Something horrible happened today. I walked into Target, and saw all of their kiddie pools and slip slides on sale and it hit me.

Summer is over.

It caught me so off guard. I should have seen the signs: kids are back in school, I'm about to draft my fantasy football team and our neighborhood pool closes this week. I guess I've been in denial but standing there in Target debating buying a slip n' slide for next summer it became true.

So, goodbye summer! You were lovely and full of wonderful memories, a favorite being the wonderful day spent sliding from the bounce house into the pool after my nephew's birthday party. Evan's granddad even joined in for the fun. I ran up the bounce house and down the slide with the eagerness of child who had just learned to swim. Summer makes us all kids again I think. And I will miss it.

Luckily, there is joy in every season and autumn happens to be my favorite, so I won't be sad for long!

hadley is one! | austin family photography

My sweet little baby girl turned one this month and we celebrated with a little backyard cake smash. I even made a cake that wasn't an ugly disaster--so proud!

Hadley loves anything sweet so it was fun to watch! I'd say the highlights were her signing for "more" after her first bite rather that just taking it, inadvertently getting cake up her nose and her grand finale of sitting in the cake.

I love this girl so much it makes my heart hurt!

thankful for my iphone

Obviously, I love my Canon but since becoming a mom I've realized just how valuable the simple little camera on my iPhone has become. I always have my phone so I never miss out on fun moments with Hadley. Beyond that, she loves getting her picture taken with the iPhone because I can turn the view around and she can watch herself. She's pretty vain like that. The smiles she has while staring at herself are some of my favorites. Of course, I break out my Canon at least once a month for pictures and during any big first in her life, but for the in between times, I'm all iPhone.

Wishing you a weekend of wonderful in betweens...

Why Everest Road?

If you talked to anyone who's climbed Everest, they'd tell you it was hard. They'd likely have a sizable list of moments when they wanted to throw in the towel. There are so many reasons a challenge like this is insane. The oxygen at the top of Everest is too thin to breathe on your own. It's so cold frost-bite is nearly inevitable. The death toll on Mount Everest is over 200.



Some might say anyone would be foolish to attempt such a task.



But they keep doing it...



Why?

In 1922 George Leigh Mallory said about climbing Mount Everest, " ...there is something in  man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it...the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward...What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy." 

The climb is motivated by the joy and reward of the summit, but the struggle and adventure that pave the road to Everest are what defines it.

So what does that have to do with photography?

Well, all of our lives are characterized by our own summits, those moments and relationships that give our lives meaning. From graduating, to marriage, to starting a family, we all have peaks. Much like Everest, the road can be hard but we are driven on by the joy and rewards ahead.
If you talked to anyone who's been married for 50 years, they'd tell you it was hard.

But they'd tell you the adventure was worth it.

That’s what we love about photography. It captures not only our time at the summit, but also our journey there. It gives us a tangible memory of our transition from optimistic, inexperienced climbers to veteran hikers wise enough to understand the challenges and devoted enough to face them each day until we ascend that summit. We delight in capturing the journey and joy of life's adventures. Whether it's a new life, the start of a marriage or a 75th anniversary, being able to look back on the journey makes reaching the summit even sweeter.