Applicant #18: Kayla Pevehouse

Kayla Pevehouse is a mom from Tacoma.

My video application:

A bit about me:

Hello, everyone. My name is Kayla, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to participate in the running to become the next Verity Mom!

I was born and raised in the snowy Sierra mountains of northern California, but about three years ago, I moved to the rainy Pacific North West with my husband, Brent, who is a Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force. My husband and I have been married for almost four years, and I gave birth to our beautiful daughter, McKenzie Rose on January 18, 2011. I recently finished my undergraduate studies in Psychology at the University of Washington, and am currently looking for the perfect graduate program to start in the spring. My latest educational endeavor is to obtain a Master’s Degree so that I can teach children (ages K-8), focusing on those who have special needs. I love all things that the great outdoors can offer, including running, hiking, camping, swimming and of course snowboarding. I am a total bookworm, a neat freak, and an annoyingly persistent over-achiever.

Thank you for watching my video, good luck to all of the amazing women who have applied, and may the best mommy win!

My blog post:

When you type “verity definition” into your Google search bar, what pops up reads something like this: a true principle or belief, especially one of fundamental importance.

Contemplating this definition, I was prompted to ask myself: “what does it mean, in the most literal sense, to be a verity mom?” What is the essence of this title, and, more importantly, what is my verity?

When my husband and I first discovered that we were pregnant, I was overwhelmed with a joy that ran so deep, I had never experienced it before. Eventually, however, my thoughts shifted toward how drastically my life was about to change. After reading several books and talking with other moms, I was convinced that no amount of physical, emotional, or mental preparation would prime me for the 180 degree shift that the little mass of cells in my uterus was destined to initiate.

Personally, I wasn’t concerned about the effect that motherhood would have on my social life, my energy levels, or my sleep cycle; my biggest worry, rather, revolved around the unparalleled curtain of responsibility that would drop full force onto the center stage of my life the day that my daughter was born.

Newborn safety and care aspects of parenting aside, the socio-emotional aspects of raising another human being loomed in the distance. What did I want to teach my child about how to not only survive, but blossom in our fast-paced and seemingly self-absorbed society? What fundamental truths would form the foundation of my parenting philosophy?

This is where my verity comes in. For me, a happy and wholesome life is all about fitness. Now, when I say “fitness,” I am not just talking about what it takes to get back into those “skinny” jeans again (c’mon, ladies, I know we all have a pair!) Although we only have one body (as far as I know), and if we fuel it and treat it right it can do some amazing things, being physically fit is not the most important thing. However, the concept of fitness permeates nearly all domains of our lives: the physical, the psychological, the spiritual, and even the financial.

Being financially fit is the goal of most households, and its descent from the priority list has a domino effect on the other domains of our lives. It is difficult to take care of your body, mind and spirit if you are struggling to feed your family, let alone pay the bills. I think I represent a generation of young Americans who have not been taught the importance of financial fitness; with the help of Verity Credit Union, I would like to reach out to those mothers and their families. By sharing my verity with other moms, I believe that we can collectively take steps toward establishing stable financial foundations for our children, thereby providing a fit financial model for them to follow. Meanwhile, we can also enjoy making other aspects of our lives as “fit” as possible!

Kayla