Pursuits

Just over three weeks and we are headed home to visit family and friends. We can't wait, no matter how far you stray form home a litle piece of your heart always stays there.

And with that said pieces of my heart are truly breaking for all of those in the midwest where I spent my formative years growing up. They are all truly being tested right now with all of these terrible tornados that have been ravaging the country. And also in the south where the same has been happening there. My thoughts, love and prayers go out to them all that in this somewhere they can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I know in our times of despair and trouble it is truly hard to see that the things happening to us have some sort of purpose, But, rest assured that all things are done in Him, that we may become stronger.

The Great Divide

So, I feel that I am at a point in my life where I have traveled over the first big mountain of life and now I am in the valley looking towards the next peak that I need to reach. In life we learn things that help us along our way through the journey. Some of the things the we experience will be crucial to our survival and other things that we learn and experience will serve as stumbling blocks along the way.

As I stand in the valley of my life I feel the weight of those experiences make it hard for me to make it to that next peak in life. As I look around me I see the things that I have to keep safe as I travel up the path to the peak. The people that I have to keep safe are in for the ride and they have to depend on me to take the right path and not get to close to the cliffs edge. As I look toward the peak I gaze upon the Heavens and pray that I am given the strength and wisdom to keep them all safe and love them with the amount of love they deserve.

So, my life's journey has and will be a long and arduous one; but, as long as I have God in my heart and my family safe on the trail it will always be okay.

La Familia

So when it comes to family I have one that is not only huge but it is complicated. I love them all and yet I don't see them as much as I should or as I would like. I have enought siblings that we would be our own basketball team and I have enough nieces and nephews that we could start our own footbal franchise. Family is one of those institutions that I ma not sure is every really figured out I think that we just sort of go along with the norm and hope that it all works out. And as time goes on there are those that leave our families either by legal separation or by separation from this earth by one circumstance or another. I dearly love my family and they have long since been the foudation of all that I know. And in celebration of those that have come and gone I would like to name them here so that you can know who isn't here anymore that has influenced my life.

• Ira E. Blount: an amazing grandpa that always knew the right thing to say and the right things to teach
• Gretchen J. Blount: The sweetest grandma that anyone could ask for she was loving and she got the opportunity to meet and love my amazing wife and I know my wife loved her as well.
• Lana Collins: A crazy, wild, understanding, loving aunt that will forever be missed.
• Janelle McClain; Granny was a spitfire that said how she felt and stuck by it.
• Dexter "Killer" Ashworth: he was the cousin that I was closest to, and he left us way to soon, miss you Cuz.

And, I am lucky enough to still have both of my Mom's and my Dad to love and still share things with. And almost ten years ago I was blessed with the start of a family of my own when I met and married the love of my life. And shortly after we were married God gave us the blessing of our first son. My poor littel Weston started hsi little life with more problems than most will experience in a lifetime. We were fortunate enough to live in Houston where they have one of the best medical centers in the world so we were able to have his issues fixed and now he is great. And then just three short years ago we were blessed with our second son; Ralph III, and he is a real handfull; but I can honestly say I wouldn't want my life to be any other way.

Reason For Title

Okay so you may be wondering what "Fangs, Bangs, and Thangs" stands for. For those that know me; know that I am somewhat of a gun nut, and I am very much into reptiles and although it is the last word in the title they certainly mean the most to me, and the "Thangs" in my life are my awesome wife Kim, and my two amazing sons Weston and Ralph III.

The Starter

Okay, I am not necessarily the most exciting person on the planet; but, there are times when I have things that I want to share with others and that I hope others value me enough to share with me. So, being inspired by the amazing woman that lets me share her life with her I have decided to start this blog.