People magazine names Kansas woman as Most Beautiful Mom'

By Tim Engle

McClatchy-Tribune

So, Kari Rauer, how's life as America's "Most Beautiful Mom"?

"It's a lot of Play-Doh," she says, laughing. "Hasn't really changed much. Kind of a corny title."

Her husband, Dave, had nominated her by sending People magazine's Web site a picture of Kari and their two kids he'd taken at Kansas Speedway. Editors picked eight finalists, then let the public vote in the site's "Best of 2009" polls.

The day Kari found out she'd won happened to be daughter Alexus' birthday, and "I was having serious issues with her turning 2."

Then, about 9 that night came the call from People.

Minutes earlier, Dave had been on People.com casting votes for his wife when the screen locked up. He refreshed the browser and a "winner" banner popped up by Kari's photo.

When he sent in the picture, Dave also wrote a little about her. The gist of it was that Kari makes him want to be a better dad, and that she sacrifices a lot for her family and friends.

When she read that, "I thought, 'You're right on, buddy!"' Kari says. "I'm not gonna lie."

Still, winning a "beautiful" contest has her a tad nonplussed: "You wake up every day and your hair's a mess and you have a kid with the flu - you're not a pretty person at that point. ...

"I was never that girl. I was never the homecoming (queen). Maybe some people thought I was the pretty girl. I guess I've never seen myself that way. I'm kind of a dork."

The Rauers live in Gardner, Kansas, these days, but both grew up in Marceline, Mo. Plenty of folks back home cast votes for her. Kari, 32, is a stay-at-home mom to Alexus and 6-year-old Gabriel. Dave, 37, is an engineer for BNSF Railway.

"I think everyone who knows Kari knows she is not only beautiful on the outside, but she is an amazing person on the inside," Dave says.

Now she has the title to prove it.

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