Our Story

Our story began like many others..........brought up in two amazing families where marriage and family were the heart and soul of life.  Both raised in musical families we found ourselves engaged in music in college which is where we met.  And after one random meeting, many long talks, and some helpful nudges from friends we found ourselves in the throws of a perfectly twitterpated romance.  A short 2 1/2 years later we got engaged at my family farm while building a snowman.....and a VERY short 6 months later we were married (July 10, 2010) in the presence of MANY family and friends!  It was the perfect day....utterly perfect!  The honeymoon was bliss and a short 2 weeks later Adam started medical school.  

From the looks of it we were heading in the perfect path....until God decided He had something bigger planned.  After 1 long, hard, miserable year in medical school Adam resigned and our life took a very unexpected turn.  Our time in Columbia allowed me (Kristin) to build my business (KNV Music Therapy…..now Giving Song, LLC) and finish my graduate degree in neurologic music therapy.  Three years later we are spending our days waiting as Adam applies to Physician Assistant programs all over the world!  

Waiting for God to guide us to our next journey and loving every minute of it!

Kristin

I was raised on a homestead farm in Illinois where I spend my days with family and friends playing with animals, riding horses, doing crafty projects, engaged in school organizations like National Honor Society, Cheerleading, Student Council, Band, and many others depending on the time of year. I was very engaged in school and in the community including singing in a community choir, playing music at church, and my favorite: playing music with my dad and sister.  Music was always part of my life and that is what eventually lead me to where I am today.  After a strong passion to be an architect subsided I was turned towards music therapy and pursued it during my undergraduate career at Drury University and completed my Masters through Colorado State University as a distance learner in 2013.  Throughout undergrad and my internship I grew a passion for the neurologic physiology of the brain and body as it responds to music.  With that I have had the privilege to study neurologic music therapy and also completed my neurologic music therapy fellowship in 2013!  As a result of our moving to Columbia I had the opportunity to build a business from the ground up and ALL that entails!  I never wanted to build a business or be my own boss, but now I LOVE it and know God lead me into this position for a reason! Our business has been a blessing and the avenue to meet and serve many wonderful people and for that alone I am grateful!!

I spend my 'free' time learning basic graphic design including logos and website design (that's the architect/designer in me).  I am an avid crafter....I've tried pretty much everything....scrapbooking, photography, interior design, sewing, knitting, writing, painting, drawing, pottery, cooking, baking, and recently quilting.  I have more hobbies than time in the day to enjoy them.....currently finding time for graphic design, quilting, and cooking/baking.  I also love to run....after many years of struggling with Asthma I have found that long distance running keeps my lungs healthy....so it is one of my greatest pleasures to put on a pair of running shoes and hit the trail!  

As much as I love to do all the things just mentioned.....I LOVE being a wife the MOST!!!  I love my husband and "no" I don't like him everyday and "yes" we argue and disagree about stupid things....we by no means have a picture perfect marriage.....but I LOVE him everyday!  We promised ourselves and most importantly God way back in our dating and courtship period that we would place our marriage as PRIORITY # 1.  I can honestly say we do that!  I take being a wife as my calling and if at some time in the future God calls me to be a mother.....I will still consider my husband my #1 priority below my Heavenly Father!  I LOVE being a wife and love being Adam's wife!  I rejoice in this marriage God has given us and through all that life has thrown at us.....our marriage has remained because God is the center!  

Adam

Adam grew up in a small-ish Missouri town in the middle of the Ozarks.  Adam was also blessed with a strong family relationship with his parents and brother.  Both Adam and I have 1 sibling.  We were also both raised with a parent home during our younger years (Adam by his mother; and me by my daddy).  This is something that has shaped both of us into the people we are today.  Adam spent his younger years playing games and reading.  Adam can read circles around me....I mean MANY circles around me!  He is an avid reader and always has been.  Adam loved books like Treasure Island, The Hobbit, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, and many other adventure/fantasy books.  Adam also loved fantasy games like Final Fantasy (which is where he swears he learned to read), Mario, and now Boulder's Gate, and Guild Wars.  Adam did spend some time learning the trombone in his younger years, but gave that up and found that singing was his real passion.  A passion that was instilled in him from a young age.  Adam's father is a 30+ year Barbershopper (as in 4-part harmony not a barber).  Adam grew up around harmony and he learned from the best listening to his father and eventually beginning to sing in quartets around the age of 16.  Adam has spent years growing and training his voice and has been blessed to sing in many good quartets over the past ten years.  Adam's last quartet ranked 12th internationally and his current quartet (where he sings with his father and brother) placed 17th internationally their first run!  His current quartet is called Premium Blend and the wives laid claim to the name "Extra Shots"!  They've been together about a year and 1/2 and released their first professional CD titled "Extra Bold" in 2013. 

At this time Adam spends his days and nights thinking about singing, but he does have a day job as a Pharmacy Technician at a local pharmacy.  Through this experience Adam has learned the ins and outs of pharmacy including pharmaceuticals, insurance, and patient care.  In all honesty, Adam is AMAZING at his job, but his eyes are set for higher.  He is currently in the throws of interviews and waiting to hear back from Physician Assistant schools.  When Adam isn't thinking about singing, he is dreaming of academia!  Adam is an academic at heart and loves to learn!

The Two of Us

As mentioned above, we have many similarities in our childhood and certainly in our hobbies and

passions, but the thing we love the most are our
walks.  Our favorite time together is when we spend hours walking and talking and dreaming of this life!  We also run together which has been a great addition for our marriage.....there is something about working hard together to get to the finish and simply getting out an enjoying God's creation that always makes our marriage stronger.  We also enjoy good food together....and wine.  Adam has become quite the wine academic.  It is a love affair rooted in our trips to Italy and remains a part of our hobbies to this day.  We also made the lifestyle choice over a year ago to become vegetarian and mostly vegan at home, so experimenting with food is also something we enjoy doing together.  The past few years we have been experimenting with gardening (small and large) - (flowers and produce) and love spending time in the garden together.  I should also add...Adam is a "green thumb" and would spend every waking hour in a garden in the woods if he could.

We are also huge movie fans and as we don't have TV or cable, we like to watch movies.  Our favorites are:  Pride and Prejudice (yes...this is one of Adam's favorites), Peter Pan, Midnight in Paris, Oceans Eleven, A Good Year, Julie and Julia, The Holiday, Atlantis, Ratatouille, Ponyo, Frozen, Tangled, and many, many others!  Our ideal night would be a good meal with a lovely glass of wine and a good long walk under the stars.