Holidays are a great big deal for the Weaver family, especially now that their three beautiful daughters live around the Midwest and across the country — so their time spent together is so precious. And when they get together, there’s bound to be lots of fun, laughter, and a couple of really cute pups around!

The girls had a fabulous idea for their mom’s birthday this past fall :: a portrait session for the whole family! With their Thanksgiving turkey in the oven, we gathered in their beautiful backyard and a few points on the Kansas State campus, with amazing fall colors all around us.

See what I mean about adorable furry friends?

A lovely portrait of just mom and dad…

We stopped in front of Hale Library with its soft, warm light and lots of happy faces on the green.

This one is a GORGEOUS, beautiful gallery wrapped canvas for mom and dad’s home. One of my favorites!

One more of just the girls ::

Weaver family, it was an honor and a delight to photograph these portraits for you! Thank you for including me in your time together to celebrate Thanksgiving!

I’d be completely amiss if I didn’t profess my love one of these days for Nikon… it’s a favorite because it allows me to create like I do, while continually adding to my wish list of things that I just don’t think I could live without. Many of these things are in my camera bag already, but isn’t there always room for another pretty lens?!  

I haven’t talked much about my half-marathon training lately. (Well, I haven’t talked about much of anything for that matter. Sorry for the radio silence the last few days.)

The truth: Training for this race has gotten intense. Not hard, not bad…just intense. I’ve logged just over 20 miles in the last 7 days, and have another 13-14 ahead of me yet this week. Twenty miles?! I never imagined I’d breathe those words in this context. But I am immensely proud of that fact.

I have to admit, though, I feel good. I hardly imagined that I’d look forward to the long runs as much as I do. I get lost in my feet moving, one ahead of the other, the steady thump-thump-thump of my feet as my mind clears of everything else. Sometimes I feel like my training, this process, is like peeling back an onion–each mile passed is like removing another layer, getting me closer what the end result is going to look like. And right now, if my half-marathon were tomorrow instead of 45 days away, I know I’d do alright.

Training for this race is teaching me to trust myself. That I’m capable of what I put my mind to….this is a big issue for me. It’s part of why I chose a race like this as my Big Fat Hairy Audacious Goal –  because in all honesty I wasn’t sure if I trust myself to literally, go the distance. I am surrounded by people who I’m awed and humbled with their unconditional confidence in me — because I find myself doubting my own capabilities from time to time. It’s terribly difficult for me to admit that, because I’m afraid of your judgment of me, and I would be devastated if I were to let someone down. But, love it or leave it, it’s the truth.

See you on the trails…

Never, ever miss an opportunity to tell someone how you feel about them.

(Everything here can be found on etsy)

Wishing you a weekend full of love!

Are you on Facebook (maybe more than you ahem, should be)? Of course you are — it’s everyone’s favorite place to connect with friends and see what people are up to!

You can keep tabs on Cathy Mores Photography, just as easily! Just click the Like button and stay connected with new posts, portraits, and much more!

A little eye candy for your Friday.

Thank you Bakerella…if my eyes could consume food they would weigh five hundred pounds. EACH.

We’re on snow day #2 (and quite frankly wouldn’t be entirely surprised by a third…) We nearly walked out the door yesterday morning to head to Preschool, only to realize that nobody would have been there if we had shown up. There’s a little ice on everything now, and the snow is falling fast and furious. While we are grateful that we aren’t on the receiving end of the amounts that so many other places are getting, I think it goes without saying that winter can be finished any time now.

I bet the birds would agree.