Incredible Woman #5 - Kim Walus. Monday's questions

KARA: "Tell us about yourself, Kim, What makes you an incredible woman?"

KIM: "What makes me an incredible women? Well, that is a very deep and thought provoking question. How do I answer that? I've been thinking about the questions you've given me this week and it's given me the opportunity to look back and reflect on what I've accomplished so far in my life. Sometimes, I think "How DID I do it?" "How did my children turn out to be such good kids?" "How did I face my daily challenges?" How come I'm so happy and feel so blessed? These are not easy questions to answer but, I truly believe that I am an "Incredible Women" because of my FAITH and how I CHOOSE to live my life. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Click here for more information). Some of you may have varying views and opinions on this information but I want you to know that if you believe in a God or a Higher Power you know what I mean. Every day I choose to follow the example of Jesus Christ. I choose to teach my children about Jesus Christ. I choose to be kind and loving. I choose to forgive and build relationships rather than tear them down. Don't get me wrong because I am definitely NOT PERFECT. I believe we can only become perfect through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He is my Example. I am making a conscious effort to be a good person and if you want to call me a "Really Incredible Person" than I guess it's true and I will try to continue to be the best example and disciple of Jesus Christ that I can possibly be. Wow! That was a mouthful but, I feel passionate about my FAITH.

Now, I'm going to tell you a little about myself. . .

I was born in Wisconsin and when I was nearly 10 years old my family moved to Utah so my Dad could finish his education at Brigham Young University (BYU). Just before moving to Utah, at the age of nine, my father gathered us children around him and said "Your Mother has Breast Cancer." Well, I knew enough at that age, that that wasn't good. I vividly remember saying to him, "So, does that mean she's going to die?" I was very concerned about that. I remember my dad comforting us and talking to us about having FAITH and that Faith was very important to how we lived our lives. I grew up in a home where my Mother was very sick and we would all face many challenges in our lives as a family. When I was 15 they diagnosed her with Bone Cancer and gave her 6 months to live. That was a hard time. But, ya know, God really does bless our lives and so he blessed our family. My mother lived with and through cancer for 22 years and lived to the age of 57. I can't begin to express how grateful I am to my mother for the EXAMPLE of FAITH that she gave to me. She was a "REALLY INCREDIBLE WOMAN" and she taught me so much by what she endured and in how she endured it. She was a Registered Nurse and was such a compassionate person. Many times she would bring strangers home for dinner and would give away nearly all of the food in my father's garden. She had a certain JOY about her and people just loved my mother. I have really BIG shoes to fill when it comes to being an incredible women. I'm so grateful for her example and realize that I am who I am by virtue of my life's experiences and what I've learned from them so far.

I met my husband, Mark, at the beginning of 1982 and later in the year we were married. We lived in Utah for 3 years and during that time we welcomed our first child into our home. After my husband graduated from BYU in 1985 we moved to Fremont, California where we lived for 10 years. We welcomed two more children into our home during that time. We then moved to Brentwood, California for 3 years and then decided to make a BIG change and move to Utah to be near my side of the family. This is where we added a fourth child to our family in 1999. We have made Highland our home and have enjoyed living in such a great neighborhood and community. I'm a mother to, Natalie, Mark, Ariel and McKenna. Mother-in-law to Nick, and Grammi to Benjamin and Kora Belle. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! Age? So, you want to know how old I am? Well, I don't mind telling you that I'm 48 years old and will be 49 in December. I'm quite certain I've earned every year and I'm proud of it!!!

So there it is in a nutshell. It's hard to cram 48+ plus years into a nutshell. LOL!!

If you have any questions make sure to ask and I will try to give you an answer.

Now let's all go out and do something INCREDIBLE today!!!!"


KARA: "You’ve got beautiful kids. Describe each of them and tell us one special thing about each one. I know there is a large gap between your last two – talk about the blessings and challenges of having another child at an older age. Also, I know you’re a grandma. How is having grandkids different from having your own kids?"

KIM: "Thanks Kara! I sure love them!!

Natalie is 25 and is my oldest.

She is a very responsible, dedicated, and passionate person. She's always loved to draw, read, and write. When she was 5 years old she participated in a Young Author's Contest at her School. That means she wrote and illustrated her own book. She did so well that she not only won for our school but she was one of the top winners in our school district and had the privilege of having her book reside in all the libraries in the county. It was a lot of fun. Well, today I am happy to say that she is still an aspiring author and illustrator and recently acquired a literary agent. What that means is that she has hopes of being published in the not too distant future. She loves to write Young Adult Fiction & Fantasy. I love reading her books. She is the mother of my two grand children, Benjamin and Kora.

Mark is 23 and is my only son.

He is the most musical of our family. He started playing the trumpet in 5th grade and continued through 9th grade when he switched over to singing. He made the top choir in 9th grade as a virtual unknown singer. His choir director commented that she thought she knew all of the talent but he came out of the woodwork. That was a great year for him. He has continued to enjoy and excel in music. He also plays the guitar. My only complaint is that I don't get to hear him sing as often as I would like. I could listen to him sing all day every day. Mark is currently attending the local university and is majoring in Psychology.

Ariel is 19 and is my 2nd daughter.

As a child Ariel lived up to her name. Whenever we went to her brother's ballgames she would disappear. We could always find her at the water fountain. She loved to swim and excelled in swimming. Ariel is probably the most outgoing of my children and loves everyone and has a special place in her heart for those with special needs. She is dedicated to helping others and has been a peer tutor during her years in Junior and High School. She is working hard to become an Occupational Therapist and help kids with special needs. She is currently attending the local university and works full-time for the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind. She works with a 2nd grader who is partially deaf and blind.

McKenna is 10 and is our last child.

Kenna is our athletic girl who loves to do all sorts of things. She has lots of friends and loves to play all of the time. She also rides and takes care of horses, she plays baseball, she enjoys gymnastics, rock climbs, and loves to ski with her dad and her cousins. She is the kid that has benefited from the prosperity of our older age. My older kids can't believe all of the things that she gets to do. We often call Kenna our "Sweet Cream" and since she's the last child she wants to sit in between us and go on dates with us (when we can't find someone to take care of her). So we are the Oreo Cookies and she's the cream in the middle. Kenna has given us a lot of joy in our older years.

I'm so lucky to be a parent to my four children and I love each of them very much. I enjoy their individuality and their unique personalities. It can be hard to be everything to everyone at the same time. I've done my best and I'm so happy with how they've grown up and how they share their goodness with others.

Now being a Grandparent has got to be the best gift in the world. You get to play.

Benjamin is 3 1/2 years old and is our first grandson.

Let me tell you about Ben. He is smart. He is loud. He is fun. He's your typical boy. He loves to play. He love to dig in the dirt. He loves his Grammi. When he comes to my house he is always too excited and it makes me feel so special. He looks for me and runs to me when he see's me. It's so great being a Grammi. When he comes to my house he wants my undivided attention and loves to build with blocks and Legos. He loves to color too. He use to eat everything and now eats almost nothing. When he comes to my house he wants "Grammi Noodles" (mac n'cheese) and he loves "Grammi Juice" (kool-aid or soda).

Kora Belle is 18 months old and is our first granddaughter.

Kora has been the ideal sweet quiet baby girl who went to bed easily and slept all night at an early age. She took 3-4 hour naps and was always happy. Lately, it's been reported that she has become a ninja baby. She goes about very quietly getting into everything and making big messes with vaseline, toilet paper, and other various items. When she comes to our house she sneaks off and goes into Grampin's office and pushes buttons on the printer and gets into Grammi's things. She's been found downstairs on the other side of the house looking for things to get into. It's pretty funny. She also loves to color and just may become an artist or writer like her mother. We will see.

Kara wanted me to address the blessings and challenges of having another child at an older age. Being a parent for over 25 years now has required a lot of work and sacrifice but anything worth having is worth working for and my family is my greatest treasure. I can tell you that becoming a parent again at nearly 40 was life changing even though I thought I knew what I was getting into. It's been a lot more challenging than we ever thought but you know, that the blessings have also been far greater than we ever thought too. I just try to remain patient, positive and flexible. I feel like I need to explain. Kenna has GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and it's been a challenge for everyone but, I will tell you that she's doing really well and is managing her GAD better than ever. This isn't the place to go into details but it's been a challenge over the years and we finally sought the help and understanding we needed. It's hardest when you're tired after work and you just want to relax and here you have this energetic child that wants to go here and go there and play, play, play, play. Oh, and there's all this homework and book reports and other activities that require my attention. It wears me out at times and that's when it's the most difficult for me. I have to manage my life and not put too much on my plate or I get overwhelmed. I'm slowing down a bit, yet my life is busy and crazy. The thing that keeps me going is that I love my family and I've dedicated my life to being a mother and I'm more than willing to make the investment in my childrens' and grandchildrens' lives. I've learned so many life lessons from my children and their children. I look forward to having more grandchildren too!"

Come back tomorrow to learn more about Kim!