Random stuff

Just thought I would take the time on this post to blog about random things so here goes.....

1.) The "ObamaCare" Heatlh Care Reform bill passed through the House last night much to the dismay of the Republicans and myself. I must say I was disgusted watching last night by the actions of both parties. They act more like little immature spoiled children than they act like educated leaders of this country. They both need to grow up and learn to talk and work together for the best of America. Im not in favor of this bill, especially the part that includes federal funding of abortion. However, I must say I have not researched this topic very much to make an educated opinion about it. And I would suggest that to everyone else too. Dont make comments about the bill just because your family or friends say so. Educate yourself and make your own opinion based upon how you feel. Time will tell how this ObamaCare works out.

2.) March Madness - WOW! Holy upsets! Cornell, St. Marys and Washington all make it to sweet 16 as double digit seeds and Northern Iowa pulled off what may be the biggest shocker of all in a start to finish beating of overall #1 seed Kansas. UNI is a 9 seed. Also, 6 seeds Tennessee and Xavier both made it to the sweet 16. This has been quite an interesting and exciting tourney so far and most brackets have been shattered at this point. I have one bracket that has 13 of the sweet 16. Yes, I picked Washington, Cornell and St. Marys all to make it. I missed out on Kansas, Georgetown and Texas A&M. It was a fun first weekend of the NCAA tournament. However, as a Miss State fan, I must say Im still disappointed that MSU didnt make it in the tourney and the selection committee passed them over for Florida, Minnesota, Utah St and a few others who all lost in the first round. But then again MSU did lose in the 2nd round to UNC on a last second buzzer beater just to push the dagger deeper into the heart of all Bulldog fans. Although I wish we would have made it to the "Big Dance", I am really glad this roller coaster, heart breaking, NCAA cheating season is over.

Boo for BAD REFS & BOO to the NCAA

In case you have no idea what a lane violation is in NCAA basketball, or in case you are one of the 3 refs in Nashville this past weekend, then let me explain it to you:

1.) The FT shooter cannot cross the FT line until the ball hits the rim.
2.) Any other offensive or defensive player cannot penetrate the "arc" until the ball hits the rim.
3.) If either of these occur then the shot is whistled dead and ball rewarded to the other team.


This past weekend MSU had their hearts broken twice. First, by UK and their LUCKY and ILLEGAL and DRAMATIC shot. Give UK credit, they battled and fought and got the ball in their hands not once but twice to try and win the game. And that's just what Demarcus Cousins did. After the shot, the game was tied, UK and their players all rushed and ran onto the court celebrating. Understandably, they were excited. However, it should have been a technical foul for excessive celebration. You cannot do it in football after scoring TD and the SEC and the officials made that ABUNDANTLY CLEAR this year in the LSU v. UGA game. If you dont know then Google it. But of course UK, like Duke and many other high profile, money making programs with big names are not held to the same standards as little ol podunk hillbilly cow colleges like MSU. We dont make money for the SEC or NCAA so who cares about us right? Right? Right!

Im ashamed of the SEC and the officials after both UK games with MSU this year. MSU was one of the LEAST fouling teams in all of college basketball YET in games vs UK they were whistled for TWICE as many fouls as their average on the year! In 2 games, they were whistled for 48 fouls to UK 27!! That sounds fair and legit right? Right?

Im ashamed of the NCAA and their PATHETIC selection committee just as Bobby Knight stated the other night! These guys have no clue what they are doing! And that is coming from a college basketball LEGEND! They royally messed up the brackets this year.... They gave the OVERALL #1 seed Kansas the hardest road to the Championship while DUKE got the easiest! Many people felt DUKE may not have deserved #1 seed, I felt they deserved it. But Duke received by far the easiest route to the Final Four! HOW? Just stupid and no sense!


Im proud of Rick Stansbury for voicing his displeasure over being screwed. Im proud of those boys on that team that called a players only meeting, got their stuff together and starting playing the ball we all knew they were capable of playing. They beat UF, who got in over them for some stupid reason when both had similar resumes yet UF is one of those "high profile money makers". They beat Vandy who is a 4 seed. And they BEAT UK but had it stolen from them for the 2nd time this year. Im proud of them for playing their guts out and for Dee Bost who played almost every minute with an agonizing hip pointer.

You boys got screwed but just keep your head up. We fans are proud of you and that you showed the whole world of college basketball that a hillbilly cow college in little ol Starkville MS can be relevant on a national stage. Oh until the NCAA screws you out of it.

RIP Mike D

This day four years ago my friends and I suffered a tragic loss with the death of our friend Micheal Dowdy (better known as Mike D). He was killed in a motorcycle accident and I will not forget the moment when I got the phone call and then had to call two other friends that were very close to break the news. My best friend Jep had been napping and watching NASCAR and when I called and he wasnt quite awake yet. I didnt know what to say. I was speechless. Then I just said "He's gone. Mike D is gone." He didnt get it at first and then I said "Mike is dead!" Jep lost it. He called me a liar and was screaming and yelling. I drove to his house to get him and we went to the hospital. There must have been 100 people there. A group of around 10 of us went back to where he was and the doc asked if any of us wanted to go in and see him to say goodbye. We all declined, except Jep. He had to see it for himself. It was like he didnt believe it. I guess none of us wanted to believe it. I wasnt the closet to Mike but we hung out often and I never had a bad time with him. My favorite memory of him is when him and I were on Beale St in Memphis with our friends to see a concert. After the concert, Mike and I got seperated from the group for awhile and we had a blast just doing what we did best - act goofy.

Scott, Brodie, Jep, Chubbs, Alex and his other very close friends were very shaken but everyone came together to support one another. I know there is not a day that goes by that Scott doesnt miss his best friend and partner in crime.

There are so many good memories and stories about Mike D and his jokes and his demeanor. I could say alot of things about Micheal but the best way I can put it is he lived life to the fullest! Always smiling, always fun loving and most of all the best and most loyal friend you could ask for.


I just wanted to take a little time to blog and remember Mike D!

We love you and miss you very much my friend!

Mama Alice and Daddy Bert

This is a video I did of my grandparents. It has almost been a year since we lost my "Mama Alice" and it will be tough, especially for my mother and aunts. They were so close and each loved their "mama" with such a powerful and unconditional love and each had an amazing relationship with her. It has been a long tough year on all of us and especially them not being able to talk on the phone, sit and visit and talk about the many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and yes even great, great grandchildren. Those were her babies and what she loved and enjoyed most. Even in her last couple of years while she was so fragile and hurting, she never passed up a chance to hold, love and kiss on her "babies". I will blog more on her in the coming week. For now, check out the video.

More photos of My girls

Passion 2010: AWAKENING

A Video I wanted to share with you guys. What a powerful and amazing event this must be. I have never attended a Passion event but only because of age limits and schedule conflicts. I feel as if I have attended each one because I always purchase the release and the music and Louie Giglio's messages are so powerful and inspiring it makes you feel as if you are there. The 268 generation is awesome!

Photo Edits

WOW!

I apologize for the long abscence as real life got in the way the last several months. LOTS to post about so check back later today. Sorry to any of you if you have been checking and getting the same ol stuff.

Updates

Well we closed on our house this past Wednesday and from the profit we payed off two bills and now have no mortgage. It was truly a blessing from God that our house sold so quick and that we are able to move into my grandmothers house, which is much nicer, and pay half what we were paying at the old house.  Also, I have been in and out of the doctors offices the past few weeks. I had a few spells of fatigue and dizziness and basically feeling worn down so I went to the doc to see what was up. They did several blood tests and also did a CT scan. The results cam back ok but they put me on a stress relieving medication. Basically, I have a blood disorder that destroys my red blood cells and stress can accelerate that process. If i lose enough red blood cells then I become very vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. In 2002, I almost dies and spent several weeks in the hospital and in ICU and on a respirator but once again God's blessings pulled me through. I feeling better now so hopefully it will be back to normal again.

Anyways, thats about it in our lives and will post more about the move later! GOD BLESS!

We're Moving!

Well Shelley and I put our house up for sale early in January and within 5 days we had an offer on it! We made a counter offer and she accepted! We are really excited and feel like God really blessed us! We will be moving into my grandmother's house in East Columbus where she and my grandfather lived for many many years! It is a nice house with more room than what we have now and so many memories in it that we hope to cherish for many more years to come! We will be able to pay off most of our debt from the sale of our old house and start a new adventure in the lofe of our family! We have to move quickly and we will be closing in just a few weeks so we have a lot to do in a short period of time! I will post picutres as soon as I can! Hope all is well and God Bless You!

A Very Merry Christmas!!

What a GREAT Christmas we had this year!! It was so much fun to play Santa again and this year I think Marlee actually understood it better and had more fun. It was the first one where she actually knew what she wanted and got from SANTA! I have a video of it and some pictures I will post below.... I had a great one too as I recieved not ONE but TWO FATHEADS! I got a "Big Papi" FATHEAD from my brother and a Boston Red Sox one from my wife. I also got a MSTATE neon logo light for my room and a cool MSU neon clock as well. I got a nice electric razor, a new slim pocket bible and some clothes. It was good for me. Shelley got some perfume she wanted and a new hair straightner as well as clothes and Bath and Body works stuff too. We had a GREAT Christmas but most of all is the greatest gift of all in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and celebrating his birth.

Haines Family Christmas today!!

Today my brother, Matt, and his family are coming over to Columbus to have our family Christmas! It should be a fun time to get the kids together and open PRESENTS! YEA!!!!!! I will post pictures as soon as I can.

Christmas Time at the Haines House!

We took some family pics in front of the tree. Sometimes Marlee wouldnt cooperate and smile but when she did it looked good. Forgive the ugly guy in the vest. I had to be in the picture.

OK Im sorry....

Ok so things have been so crazy the last few months that I totally got away from the "Blogosphere" but Im going to get back up and going as best I can now.... Alot has happened since my last blog.

1.) I started my new job at Weyerhaeuser on September 22 and really enjoy it.... I work in the Pulp Machine which is where we get the pulp prepared and finalized for the shipping. They are a good company that have good benefits... Im starting on bottom so I have to work my way up. I hope to be able to be where I want to be out there in about 5 years. The roughest part is being away from my beautiful girls and working the swingshift. I only work 14 days a month but its crazy at times. I work 7 days and 7 nights a month and during the night shifts I dont see my girls which makes me sad. And even on my days by the time I get home Im so wore out that I only have about an hour to see them before I have to hit the sack. But the days off allow me to make up for it.

2.) Shelley started her new job at Citizens National Bank. She loves it. She has better hours and gets to do some of the things she wants now. Before, at Trustmark, she didnt get off until 6 and she was always so wore out that we didnt get alot of time together. SHe loves it at Citizens and we are happy for her. By the way she did a radio commercial for them and you can hear it here. Click on the Poinsettia commercial.

3.) Marlee is now 29 months old and is the joy of our life just like all of your children are to you. She has such a fun and outgoign personality. She is counting to 15 by herself, says all her ABC's, is almost all the way potty trained and she loves her baby dolls. She has 13 in all now and she is a good mommy.. LOL!

More to come so please stay tuned... I promise I will have it updated more frequently...

A touching video about Steven Curtis Chapman and his family dealing with tragedy

Watch CBS Videos Online

Birthday Girl!!!

Happy Birthday to the woman who is my world and my love! I am so thankful to have such a mature, beautiful and loving wife who is a great mother to our daughter. I couldn't imagine anyone more perfect for me than you. You keep me in check and I love you so very much!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and Thank You for taking a chance on me 7 years ago and stealing my heart!

I LOVE YOU!! YYY

When my life changed forever..... 6 years ago tonight....

6 years ago this week my life changed forever. Some of you may remember and some of you may not even know this about me but I thought I would share my story with you.

First to give you a little background....

It was August 2002 and I had just wrapped up my summer by coaching my summer league high school team to the state title. It was an exciting summer and my first year as a coach. I had met a beautiful girl who I immediately fell head over heels for and started to date. It was a very busy and extremely stressful summer. We had spent 3 weeks in hotels playing ball and in the state tournament we had to defeat all odds by winning 5 games in 3 days and ultimately beat a Tupelo team with 5 future Division 1 players who we had not come close to beating all summer. And we had to beat them twice in one night! I never thought my kids would win it all because we had everything go against us. We had gone from 20 kids to 11 and if any of you know about baseball then you know it is hard to play competitive ball with only 11 kids and in a tournament day after day none the less. After we won the title game, there were some words exchanged by one of fans and the Tupelo coach that led to an all out fight on the field that was on every news channel in MS. Talk about going from one extreme to another...... Here I was 25 years old and I felt like I was 50 with all the stress of coaching, school, work and personal life.

Six years ago, on a Saturday night, I was at the races here in Columbus watching one of my friends get ready to race his open wheel modified race car. Earlier that day I had gone to a friends house to visit and hang out with their kids. While playing with them, I noticed a rash on my upper thigh. My friends wife noticed it and said it looked like Shingles. I decided to go to my local doctor and let him take a look at it. He said he didn't think it was shingles but maybe just an allergic reaction of some kind. He gave me some antibiotics and sent me on my way. So, back to the races. While I was there, I started to feel sick and got real tired. A friend of mine noticed that I had some whelps on the back of my neck and I felt of them and then decided to just go home.

I got home and took at look at my body and it was pretty red and the rash had started to grow across my body. I took a hot bath with Epsom salt in it and then went to bed. Around 1:00 that morning I woke up and couldn't breathe very well and couldn't see much at all. I made my way towards the bathroom and looked in the mirror and it was horrible. My face was twice the normal size and my eyes were almost completely swollen shut as well as my throat. If you have ever seen any of the Rocky movies then imagine Rocky's face after a fight and triple that. It was that bad. I woke my mom up and we took off the the emergency room. I'm sure many of you have experienced the emergency room and sitting there for hours waiting to see someone. Well, as soon as we walked in the nurse grabbed me and rushed me to the back. They took some vitals and gave me an IV drip and we waited to see the doc. The doctor admitted me to the hospital for test and observation. For the next 4 1/2 days, i spent the time in the Baptist hospital getting tests done to determine what happened. My entire body from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet were covered in huge whelps and rashes. I had skin doctors, brain doctors, cancer doctors and many other people coming in to see if they could figure it out. No one knew what happened. Well, slowly but surely the meds started to help and the whelps and rash started to disappear but still no sign as to what caused it.

On Wednesday night, my friend Jep Cole came by to spend the night with me and give my parents a rest. We ate supper from Peppers and we were watching the Little League World Series. A little after supper I told Jep my stomach felt really tight and bloated and it was unlike just having indigestion. Jep also said it looked as if I was pregnant. (I know, go ahead and insert smart comment here.) He called for the doctor and they decided to do another CT Scan and found nothing. The doctor then decided it had become too much out of his field and made a request to transfer me to UAB in Birmingham. They called but there were no rooms available and I was put on a waiting list. We went on to bed with plans to go to Bham by car with my mom the next afternoon.


The next morning came and I felt better than I did since the whole episode began. I was up and walking around and just getting ready to head out to Bham later. Several friends and some of my ball players had come to visit. My grandmother was there as well. Earlier that morning we still had not received a room at UAB and we desperately needed one so I could have all the tests done. Now here is where it all went wrong......


I was sitting in the chair in my hospital room and talking on the phone to a friends wife. She was asking about info on the situation. I remember saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. I stood up out of the chair and when I did it felt like I had been shot in the back of the head. The most excruciating pain that I cannot begin to describe. Imagine a migraine times 1000! I told Jep something wasn't right and I couldn't breathe and was in pain. He ran to the nurse's station and they came running. They tried to calm me down and took my blood pressure. I will never forget the look in my mothers eyes when that machine beeped. She looked as if she had seen someone killed. I knew then it wasn't good. Now I don't remember exactly what it was but it was in the neighborhood of 220/130 I believe. They immediately gave me meds to calm me and called for the doctors. They rushed me to have a CT scan done and found that my lungs had started filling with fluid. I was having trouble breathing and they placed me on oxygen. Dr. Waller made the decision to transfer me via ambulance to UAB and immediately we went on our way. While they were taking me out I remember seeing all my family, friends and players standing out in the hallway telling me to hang in there. I don't remember much from this point on except that I couldn't breathe hardly at all and the paramedic kept placing the mask on my face and it was forcing air in and out my lungs and it was very uncomfortable. I was really scared. I guess I kept going in and out cause I don't remember the ride at all and the last thing I can remember is laying on a cold table in UAB with my brother at my side. There were several nurses and doctors working on me and sticking me with needles, IV's, catheters and such. I kept fighting them because I was so panicked and scared and I don't know how they handled me because I called them every name in the book. The very last thing I do remember is looking at my brother and him giving me an odd look and while I kept fighting the nurses and doctors at one point the doctor grabbed my head and forced it onto the table and they tied my hands down to the bed. He looked from above me and said "Mr. Haines, if you do not cooperate with us, you are about to die!" I stopped and that is all I remember.

They intubated me and put me on a breathing machine. I was out. The only thing keeping me alive was that machine. I was placed in the CCU and they informed my family that the situation looked bad. My mother said that the doctor came in and told her "If there is anyone who needs to be here then you need to get them here tonight. We don't know if he will make it through the night." How hard that must have been on her. From the stories I have been told, word spread around Columbus and prayers were being sent up from everywhere. Several of my friends left out of Columbus around midnight to make the trip. There must have been 30 or 40 people in that waiting room waiting and waiting and waiting. Every hour that went by it didn't look any better. In the early hours of the morning my mom, brother, my pastor (Bro. Mick), my Aunt Brenda circled my bed and held hands to pray. My mom tells my Bro. Mick led a desperation prayer asking for a miracle. More hours passed and by morning the doctors said that it was looking slowly better. My tests were showing better results but there was still a long way to go. Somewhere after lunch, my brother made my mom go with him to grab a Subway sandwich. While they were gone the phone rang in the waiting room and my aunt Brenda answered. They wanted my mom to come up immediately. My aunt said she felt as if it was not a good thing. She ran to get my mother and they took off to the elevator. When they reached my floor and walked into the CCU unit, my doctor was there and said they needed her to sign some papers. My mom said "Ok". Then he said, "But first, would you like to see your son?". They thought at first that maybe it wasnt good news. It was not visiting time but they of course said they would like to go and see me.

They made their way around the corner and to my room. When they reached the room they pulled the curtain to my room open to enter and when they did they saw me sitting up in the bed staring at them. My aunt said my mothers reaction was priceless. She jumped onto the bed and hugged me for what probably was hours. They were shocked. How did it go from so bad just hours earlier where they called the family into the room you dont want to be in to hours later I am awake, sitting in my bed and breathing on my own? They asked me how I was feeling and they tell me I said "I want a hamburger!"

The news spread quickly and all my friends and family came up to the room. The doctors and nurses allowed everyone in. That's the first thing I remember. Sitting there looking at them and them looking at me. I remember saying "What in the heck are all you guys here for?" That's when they told me what happened. I didn't know what to think. Well to make this extremely long story short, I was later moved into a regular room and spent another week at UAB having tests done by every specialist they could find. One night while I was sitting in my room, my doctor walked in and wanted to speak with me. He looked me in the eyes and said "Brad, I don't know what happened and I can't explain it. We did nothing medically to save you. We thought you were gone." After our talk I spent all night awake and talking to God. I always believed in God and was a Christian but God had never revealed himself to me and what he did those long 3 days was a miracle. I have no doubts about that at all. I always wondered why God saved me that night. What is his plans for me? Well, 6 years later I sit here somewhat healthy and married to that beautiful woman I had just met before that happened. We have a beautiful 2 year old daughter named Marlee Grace who is my angel and reminds me everyday why God worked a miracle in my life in that hospital 6 years ago. Im still searching for God's plan for me. Maybe he has revealed it and I am not listening. Im not sure. I can say that I haven't taken full advantage of my second chance. I long to know him more but I kept getting myself in the way. Maybe I should get out of the way and just let God work.

I'm sorry it was so long but I wanted to go into detail about it. I hope you enjoyed it and may God touch your life like he did for me. If you don't get anything out of my story then please get this: God is real and he is powerful! He works miracles everyday and so many of us just go through our ordinary little lives and so many of us don't make the time to spend with him as we should. I am so guilty of that. God deserves our ultimate devotion and love.

Thanks,

Brad

Updates..... Sorry ive been absent..

I have been busy with alot going on and wanted to come in and give you guys an update on the family.



1.) Shelley got a new job at Citizens National Bank. She had a tough decision to leave Trustmark but ultimately it came down to the fact that she got off at 6:00 at Trustmark and now gets off at 4:00 so we have more family time together.

2.) I am in the process of trying to get on with Weyerhaeuser. It is a paper mill company here in Columbus that has great benefits and is an excellant career oppurtunity.

3.) Shelley's sister, Brittney and her husband Johnny, had their first child Davis Kade Lambert. He was born on the 12th and weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 21 inches long. He is doing well and they are at home now.

4.) My 92 year old grandmother, "Mama Alice", moved into Homeplace last week. It is a wonderful nursing home and the people there are great. It was a tough decision and she has made the adjustment surprisingly well. She left her home of over 50 years and where so much of her life and our lives were spent in that house. It just wont be the same anymore.

5.) Marlee is without a doubt the best thing in our life these days. She keeps us busy with laughter, cartoons, hugs and kisses, bath time and best of all our evenings walks around the neighborhood.

6.) A belated Happy Birthday to my "Pops" who is the greatest man I know and turned 67 last week. Happy Birthday Pops and we love you!


More to come.....

Marlee Grace's 2nd B'Day Party

We had a blast at Jumpers! Marlee and all her lil friends just ran around and had a great time. My brother and his 3 boys came from Birmingham and we had alot of fun with the 4th of July and fireworks and also we had the boys spend the night for several nights and that was also a ton of fun. To follow it all up we went to slip-n-dip and tore it up some more.... Here are some pics.....

New pics