Kristin's Story

Kristin Joy Norland was born in Wisconsin where she lived in Siren until she was two. Her dad, John Martin, is a pastor with the Evangelical Covenant Church, and her mother, Linda Marie, is a Registered Nurse.

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Her family moved to LaBolt, South Dakota, where they welcomed the arrival of her little brother Peter Mark. Peter and Kristin fought like crazy, and were about as different as they come; yet they've always loved one another. LaBolt was a good place to grow up, a town of about 100 people. The kind of place where they didn't need to lock the doors. Daisy May Hound-dog, a floppy-eared, loveable-but dumb basset hound joined the family there. She was just one of the many pets that were important to Kristin growing up. She lived in South Dakota for about 8 years, until as a 5th grader, her family made the move to the Chicago suburbs.

Elgin was her home until she graduated from high school. This is where she met Becky, her best friend. Kristin and Becky are as close to being sisters as is possible without sharing the same parents. But it's just as well they aren't sisters, because Betty and Lynn (Becky's parents) have been very important "mom & dad # 2" to Kristin as she grew up.

In high-school, both Becky and Kristin were involved in Yearbook, Key Club, and Student Council among other activities. Kristin also was a big Cubs and Bulls fan; reading the sports page with her father every morning before school to check and discuss the stats.
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Kristin graduated salutatorian from Central High School in 1992, and went off to college that fall at Butler University, in Indianapolis, Indiana, her new home for the next five years. Her parents also began a new ministry in Dawson, Minnesota the same fall. A true "pharmacy geek" she lived in the dorms for 4 years before finally venturing out to an apartment! Her Butler experience was great, with the exception of learning to live with her mom and dad 14 hours away in Dawson. While she was certainly homesick; the experiences, friends, and knowledge gained at Butler are things she'd not trade for anything.

After graduating in 1997, she moved back to Minnesota to work for Cub Foods. Her dad picked out her apartment while she was still finishing her last semester at school. And he did a great job. She stayed there for 2 years. For the first time she only had one roommate, her beloved cat of 15 years, Freckles. With her new job as a Pharmacist, she made her first two big purchases: a new stackable washer & dryer for the apartment and a new Volkswagen Jetta.

Kristin learned the ups and downs of pharmacy working at Cub Pharmacy, Maplewood. And in January of 1999 she joined the pharmacy at White Bear Lake! This group of coworkers quickly became her family away from home! That spring she also made the big decision to buy a home. In Centerville, a small town north of the Cities, she found a new townhouse complex which had a corner unit under construction that she could still help to design the finishing touches. It was so much fun! Kristin and Freckles moved in May of 1999, with the help of her parents and the Macalena clan (her Aunt and family). They all worked hard on a hot summer day!

That summer that she also gained a real sister when Peter married Christina Joy (Tina). After Freckles went home to heaven, she welcomed another new member into the family, when she adopted Theodore (Teddy) her tiger-striped, cantankerous cat. She and Teddy have had many adventures… involving cut tails, broken legs & spelunking between the floors of the townhouse…but that's another story.

The highlight of the next few years for Kristin was the beginning of her new job as "Auntie Kristin." Becky and her husband, Tim, welcomed Derek Timothy in January of 2000. Later that year Magdalen Grace (Maggie) was born to Tina and Peter. She loves being an aunt and takes her duty of spoiling these children very seriously. And just this June, Becky and Tim added little Justin Bruce to the group! I-94, the road to Chicago where Becky, Tim, Peter, Tina and families live, is one she's quite familiar with!

In December of 2001, Kristin began the challenge of opening a new pharmacy for Cub Foods. This new store was an opportunity for Kristin to take the big step of becoming a pharmacy manager. She also began the quest for Mr. Right, deciding that numerous prayers of loved ones might not be enough. The Internet was how she hoped she would to find him… and the adventure began! The searching ended the day she met Mr. John David Somsky!