About Kristen

Thank you to DK for this small video here.

Kristen Hartland, 28, is the darling wife of David (myself); the mother of Samuel; the daughter of Darla and John Stone; and sister to Erica, Carl, and Rebecca.
She was originally born in Olean, New York, but split most of her childhood between Naperville, Illinois and Houston, Texas. An adventurous, fun loving, and athletic girl, Kristen tolerated the piano, enjoyed soccer, and excelled in track and cross country.
Kristen and I met our senior year of high school (1995) while on a youth mission trip to Mexico. We fell in love nearly instantly and had a great time dating that summer. By the end of the summer we were hopelessly in love with each other, and I was beginning to wonder what to do next. Always too rational (about the wrong things), I decided that we may as well break off the relationship because (1) your supposed to find your soulmate in your mid-twenties when you're finished with college and ready to marry, and (2), college was going to separate us anyway and who wants to agonize over a long-distance relationship during your college years. At the end of that wonderful summer, I explained these things to Kristen and abruptly broke things off (I know, I was an idiot).
Fast forward four and a half years and I am still in college and still in love with Kristen. I decided I was going to go back and apologize for the heartache I caused when I so rudely called it quits. Kristen accepted my apology very graciously and then decided that she'd give it another go with me. We picked up right we're we had left off and were married one year later on February 2, 2001.
After one and a half years of marriage, during which time Kristen was teaching first grade and I was interning at my current company, Kristen was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the endless chemotherapy treatments, radiation, surgeries, and hospitalizations, the three years since that diagnosis have been wonderful, fun-filled years. The most wonderful part of all has been that in the midst of all those things our son Sam was born. He brings more joy to us than we could have ever imagined.
Today, Kristen, David and Sam reside in Houston where Kristen is a full time mother.