Family Information

Here we've placed short biographies of each family member. At the end of each individual biography is an update section so you can know what's new with that person. The pictures are divided into sections to make them easier to view. Follow the links at the bottom for which pictures you'd like to see.

Kirk D. Haines

Kirk was born November 13, 1970 in Laramie, WY and has lived nearly his entire life in that state. He graduated from Torrington High School in 1989, and then spent six years at the University of Wyoming without earning a degree. He and his then-girlfriend Michelle moved to Denver, CO where Kirk could get a better job. He and Michelle were married on December 28, 1996.

Kirk's parents and grandparents all live in Torrington, WY. His younger sister is married and lives in Indianapolis, IN with her husband.

Kirk's major interests include constructed languages, reading, science fiction shows on television, and biking.

Kirk update:

Kirk is currently working as a senior software engineer for Quris.com. When time allows, he works on building the new house on the Haines' secluded, 50 acre piece of property west of Cheyenne. He's becoming quite the expert in alternative house-building technique, and really enjoying the reasearch and the work. He has a new work truck -- a Unimog -- that he also enjoys working on and researching, and is also becoming quite good at simple auto repairs.

Michelle Jackson Haines

Michelle was born December 8, 1972 in Heidelberg, Germany as the child of American military parents -- her father an Army seargent and her mother an Army wife. Because of her father's work, she moved around frequently. After her parents' divorce, she spent her last two years of high school in Cheyenne, WY with her mother, graduated Cheyenne Central High School in 1991, then went on to attend the University of Wyoming with a major in music education. Health problems prevented her from finishing her education, and she moved with her then-boyfriend to Denver, CO where he had found a job. Michelle and Kirk were married December 28, 1996.

Michelle's father lives with his wife near Olympia, WA. Her mother lives with her husband in Broken Arrow, OK. Her grandmother lives in Enumclaw, WA. Her older brother currently resides in and attends school in Columbia, MO. Her sister and nephew also live in Broken Arrow, OK.

Michelle's major interests include reading (she's quite hooked on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and is impatiently waiting for the next book), BBSing, music, and science fiction.

Michelle update:

Michelle is currently a stay-at-home mom with her six-year-old daughter Katrina and six-month-old son Gareth. Kirk and Michelle have made the decision to homeschool their children, so much of Michelle's energy is spent on the kids. She very much enjoys both the teaching at home and the classes the kids have away from home. Michelle has recently started playing her flute with the Laramie County Community College Wind Ensemble, and is enjoying her return to playing music greatly.

Katrina Marie Haines

Katrina was born October 19, 1996 to Kirk and Michelle at Rose Medical Center in Denver, CO. She was 20 inches tall and weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. She is blue-eyed, blond-haired, beautiful, intelligent, stubborn as any two mules, and generally has her parents wrapped around her fingers. Katrina has two younger brothers, Xander and Gareth.

Her current major interests are math, writing, ice skating, dancing, and drawing.

Katrina update:

Katrina is now four years old. She is quite bright and learning very fast. She can write all of her letters, although she struggles with a few, and has easily mastered the basics of addition and subtraction. She is sounding out words and on the cusp of reading. Her dad is teaching her some basic American Sign Language, and she retains memory of the signs very well, in addition to asking frequently what sign means this or that.

She is a very good big sister to Gareth, and adores him, and also regularly asks about her departed brother, Xander, often startling her parents with her memory of him.

Katrina is taking both ice skating lessons, and dancing lessons, and enjoys looking pretty and learning in her dancing lessons. She adores her little pink leotard and ballet slippers. Ice skating lessons, while initially very exciting, have been more of a struggle because of a problem with her original teacher. Mom insisted that she be moved to a different class, and although during the last lesson Katrina was still tenative, the situation appears to be improving. Katrina will also start piano lessons soon, which she is very excited about. This whole homeschooling thing is very exciting for her.

Xander Ryan Haines

Xander was born September 22, 1998, 3:04pm to Kirk and Michelle by c-section at Poudre Valley Hospital in Ft. Collins, CO. He was 19.5 inches tall and weighed seven pounds even. He is blue-eyed, brown-haired and beautiful. Xander has one older sister, Katrina, and one younger brother, Gareth.

Xander was stricken with strep pneumococcus meningitis on December 10, 1998. He was hospitalized and diagnosed on December 12, 1998. Lasting effects from the disease include brain damage in the midbrain, basal ganglia and hypothalimus, cortical blindness, diabetes incipitis, temperature instability, left side impairment, and an inability to nurse from breast or bottle. He has had two surgeries; one placing a gastronomy button in his stomach to allow him to be fed, and one to place ear tubes to drain his mastoids of pus. The full history on his illness can be found on the page Xander's Struggle.

Xander died February 23, 1999, 3:10am Mountain Standard Time. His funeral was February 26, 1999, 10:00 am Mountain Standard Time at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Cheyenne, WY. He is interred in Olivet Cemetary in Cheyenne, WY.

Those who wish may send memorial donations in his name to:
Meningitis Foundation of America Inc.
7155 Shadeland Station, Suite 190
Indianapolis, Indiana 46256-3922
United States of America
Tel: (800) 668-1129
Fax: (317) 595-6370
www.musa.org

Gareth Xander Haines

Gareth was born July 17, 2000, 5:06pm to Kirk and Michelle by c-section at Poudre Valley Hospital in Ft. Collins, CO. He was 20 inches tall and weighed seven pounds, two ounces. He is blue-eyed, blonde-haired and beautiful. Gareth has one older sister, Katrina, and one older brother, Xander. Since he will have no memories of his older brother, his parents instead gifted him with part of his brother's name.

Gareth update:

At his six month appointment, Gareth weighed fifteen pounds, twelve ounces, was twenty-six inches tall, and has a seventeen inch head circumference. He has two teeth, but is only minimally interested in any food because breastmilk yet. He'll take a few spoonfuls here and there, but that's about it. He is starting to creep across the floor, has a wonderful sense of humor and a cute chesty laugh, and his favorite toy is his Exersaucer.

This page last updated on January 28, 2001.