The Real Rock Star of the Family: Kristyn Goold

Behind the drummer there is an amazing Wife, Mother and Friend –

Kristyn Goold aka KG

My husband came up with the idea to interview people I admire because there are so many different people I look up to for many different reasons. Our friend Steve Goold is an odvious person to interview since he is a professional drummer, but when you know the whole family you start to realize his beautiful bride Kristyn Goold (KG) is hard at work behind the scenes. She runs the show while Steve is traveling the world on tour with Owl City and she is juggling the crazy everyday schedule with a few friends and family to give her a hand here and there. KG is rockin’ the full time Graphic Design job, caring for 2 sweet little girls, cleaning, cooking, driving from here to there and everything else that falls in between.

Get to know my friend who is a super cool chick

ps she designs the best Christmas cards!

I was born in East Moline, Illinois. Our family (me, my mom, my dad and my older brother) lived there until I was three. My mom passed away when I was 22 months old and my dad remarried when I was three and we moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota. There we added my younger sister to the clan. My parents still live in the same house I grew up in.

When I was born, my parents were luthern and did not have a relationship with the Lord. I was baptized as a baby. Shortly before my mom passed away, our neighbor (who was a pastor) led her and my dad to the Lord. My stepmom was a believer and once we moved to Minnesota, attended a baptist church in town. I loved Sunday School, but my favorite thing was AWANA. One of my favorite memories is that we used to go to the AWANA olympics every year and usually placed in the top 3 teams.

I don’t remember my birth mom at all, but my dad and my relatives tell me she was quite the spit fire. Full of life. She was a theater teacher and was a performer. My dad is about as opposite as that as can be…and the parent I am most like. He is quiet, humble, yet strong. Full of integrity. He was a teacher until we moved to Minnesota. Then he worked for Golden Plump for 29 years. He just retired in December. My step mom was a teacher as well, but once she married my dad, she was a stay at home mom until us kids were older. Then she did substitute teaching. She is a perfect example of someone with a servant’s heart.    

My dad is amazing. He is strong and humble. He went through one of life’s greatest tragedies in that he lost his wife to cancer. He was left with 2 young kids (6 and 2) and yet rose to that calling with excellence. If I can be half the person he is-I will be thrilled!

Hmmm…first date. I am trying to remember! (I think) I was 16. My parents had a rule that I couldn’t do a one on one date until I was 16. They also had a rule that the guy had to call my dad before we went out. Maybe THAT’S why I didn’t date until I was 16!! I couldn’t find a guy brave enough to ask my dad! Anyway-we went on a picnic to a park in St. Cloud and just sat and talked. I had known the guy for quite awhile, so it didn’t feel awkward or weird. Very fun and low key.

My first (and only) job in high school was at McDonald’s. My mom was driving me home one day and pulled in the parking lot and told me to get an application. I did, filled it out, had an interview and 20 minutes later, I had a job. I kept wanting to quit, but they kept giving me raises, so I figured it was the best money I could make, so I stayed. I think by the time I left, I was making almost $10/hour!

Fads…I can’t think of anything crazy, but I remember slap bracelets, pinning/rolling your jeans, overalls, hypercolor shirts, girbaud jeans, doc martins…all that fun stuff.

I met Steve at Bethel. He lived next door to my best friend from high school. At first, I thought he was a dork and all his drum playing was super annoying, but once I started talking with him…thought he was a pretty cool guy. That and he was cute, so that helped too.

Before we decided to get married, Steve and I fasted for three days together to seek the Lord’s will. Doing that with him and spending time in prayer really solidified our desire to get married. I think it also really solidified our own relationships with the Lord. For that, I am so grateful. I also loved our honeymoon in Hawaii. They call it paradise for good reason. And most recently, we had the opportunity to take our two girls to Florida and Disney World. Getting to experience that as a family will always be a huge highlight in my life!

Yelling at my kids.
Eating brussel sprouts. And liking them.
Wearing leggings.
Waking up before 7:00 am

I am proud of my relationship with my husband and my kids. No-we aren’t perfect and we have arguments and issues, but we love each other and we make extra effort to make sure we know that every day. I am proud that I have open communication with all of them. That may change as my girls get older and I get dumber in their eyes, but for now, I feel like we do a good job at talking about things-good and bad. 

I desire to be a better wife and mother. I fail. I get angry. I talk harshly. I don’t always approach a situation with as much kindness, humility and love as I should. I am not always supportive when I need to be. I don’t always take criticism well. I forget that my kids are human too and will not always be perfect angels. I forget that I am their #1 role model and I need to display Christ to them. 

This question is ironically after the last one…
The two people I look up to the most are my mother-in-law, Pam Goold and my Grandma Marlow.

Pam is the prime example of a loving, kind, supportive and faithful wife and mother. I can’t tell you how many time I catch myself in a situation reacting wrongly and thinking “This is NOT how Pam would handle this.” and most times that makes me stop and pray…because that is what she would do. Her love and trust in the Lord is praise worthy. She is a Proverbs 31 woman.

My Grandma Marlow just passed away this last February. She was my birth mom’s mother and a HUGE part of my life. Grandma’s story is one that is not glamorous as well. She grew up poor, went to college-which was not common for women in her day. She got a degree and moved to Washington D.C. to work as a secretary in the pentagon. There she met a general who eventually became her husband. He was 29 years older than she was. They had three children, including my mom, and when they were young, he passed away. My grandma was left a single mom of three kids and had to work several jobs just to make it. They were incredibly poor, yet she never gave up. Eventually she met and married my grandpa-but never lost her fighting, hard-working spirit. And even went through the tragedy of losing her daughter as well. She is such an inspiration to me. She loved her family and fought for them like no one I have ever known.

Betty’s full name is Elyzabeth Carolyn Goold. She is named after Steve’s grandma Betty Goold (whose name was Cordelia Elizabeth) and my Grandma Marlow and birth mom-both whose names were Carolyn.

Suzy’s full name is Susan Trinky Goold. She is named after Steve’s mom Pam (whose name is Pamela Sue) and Steve’s Grandma Trinky. (Trinky is her nickname which she has gone by since she was a child.)

It’s no coincidence that my kids are named after the two women I admire most!

Not “getting” them sometimes. Suzy is still at the age where she is compliant and wants to obey. She also has a personality that is very similar to mine and I usually can understand where she is coming from. Betty is a whole different story. She is SO much like Steve and there are so many times when I just don’t get where she is coming from. She is very dramatic and passionate about life-which are incredible qualities, but they have to be honed. I haven’t figured out how to do that well yet…mostly because I don’t get it! :o)

Somewhere warm. Not hot…I like fall, but I could do without snow and below freezing temperatures. 

Prayer, support from family and friends and unbelievable amounts of organization!