Inspiring Mothers: Kara

My friendship of 12+ years with Kara began as running buddies.  Kara and I met up for our morning runs a couple times a week while I was running for BYU and she was sponsored by Asics.  Kara is an inspiration to me not just because she was an amazing runner, but she was a truly caring and dependable friend.  In addition to her genuine interest in others, she has a passion for adventure and the great outdoors.  I would say Kara is one of the most physically active people I know!  Kara married her perfect match, John, and together they continue their love for rock climbing, running, biking (road and mountain), swimming, water skiing, skiing, camping, traveling and much more!

 You would think life couldn't be better for the two of them.  But they felt there was more in store for their family.  "Looking around at the women in my life and the relationships they had with their kids," Kara explains, "made me think that I was missing out on something that would probably be pretty great.  I didn't know that I wanted to be a mom and was in fact terrified of the idea and how having kids would change my life but the idea of not having kids made me think I'd be missing out on a huge part of life that others seemed to really enjoy."

Being the kind of person Kara is, I knew she would be a wonderful mother and could offer an amazing and happy life for one of her very own.  Being a parent of an active and dependent child is challenging on all levels, but what Kara has gained from having her daughter Emma is priceless.  "I now understand what all other parents have been going through and have a deeper understanding for all of what that entails.  I'm continually learning to be more patient and remember how to enjoy the little things in life."  

It is those "little things" that make life rich and beautiful.  Kara finds her greatest joy in Emma's smiles and giggles and the brightness in her eyes when she's excited about something.  A favorite thing to do is "playing chase around the house with her...because it involves all of those things."  Kara loves to watch as Emma explores and learns about the world around her.  "Seeing the amazement she expresses while learning about the little things is so great!" 

Kara has found that the best way to teach Emma is through example and choices.  Emma "picks up so easily on things we do and likes to copy what we do."  Kara confesses that "this keeps us on our toes and reminds us that we need to act in the way that we'd like her to act.  Choices are a great tool to use as it gives her power to make decisions.  It also helps her learn about the consequences of the decisions she makes."

There is rarely a dull moment in Kara's life.  She and John enjoy fitting in as much adventure as possible.  Each day brings something new and exciting.  "The only real consistency is our mornings and evenings where we spend time together as a family as we get ready for the day and then unwind from the day."  With so much going on in Kara's family it may seem difficult to find a balance.  But what Kara and John have realized is "that everyone has needs that have to be met.  When those needs are met everyone seems to be so much happier.  Making sure Emma's needs are met seems to be the easy part.  It takes time and planning to make sure that mine and John's needs are met.  Doing physical activities together is super important to us so we make time to do that, including Emma when we can but also just doing things by ourselves."

Together, Kara and John "share everything about parenthood...We're continually talking about what we're doing and how we can do things better."  The greatest aspiration Kara has is "to be happy with where I am, who I'm with and what I'm doing in life and to have a lot of fun along the way.  I would love for Emma to develop a love for the things that John and I love doing so that we can do and experience them together."  As a mother, Kara hopes to make sure Emma always knows and feels that she loves her...no matter what.

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