Goodness-gracious-alive.

I almost forgot this story.

So it started because we were all outside in the front yard, I can’t even remember what for.

But something in the air changed, and girls, your faces lit up like a birthday candle.

We all heard the music of an ice cream truck.

Y’all were immediately asking for ice cream and begging for money.

But then the music began to get faint…

We listened for it, went into the house to get more money, paced up and down the block looking at side streets, and we waited. We heard the song again.

This pattern went on at least another two times as you girls impatiently paced.

Eventually the music did not return.

After a bit – mom suggested that I could just go be the ice cream man.

It seemed silly, but I gave in when everyone started begging.

So, I loaded a little cooler with ice cream from our freezer and drove my car around the block.

I rolled my windows down to play music (like mom told me too) but while going around the block, I couldn’t find anything appropriate.

I’m turning the radio dial as fast as I can going:

Tejano, no. Classical, no. Talk radio, no. County music, ahh, maybe this could work. Some song about whisky, no. Commercial, no. Ughhh.

As I approach the house, I get to a Christian station and Rich Mullins is singing his version of Awesome God (it’s his song – he wrote it).

I think: Good enough. This will do.

A couple is out for a walk and passing right in front of our house as I approach so I have to awkwardly hesitate like a weirdo half way down the street, my windows down and music blaring.

When I pull up by the curb y’all are all laughing like crazy.

Mom is holding T and asks what song is playing. As she hears the chorus begin again, she looses it and just laughs and laughs.

I remember K asking me: What flavors do you have, ice cream boy?

H, you did this slapstick, goofy, kind of laugh that I have not seen you do before! It was endearing and beautiful.

As we were all coming back inside, H, you leaned over to me and with a giant smile on your face and said:

I knew it was you dad. But that was still fun.

Yes it was.

I remember singing Awesome God in youth group as a teenager.

Below is the exact version I blared from my ice cream man car that day.

I love you.

-Dad

Last week was a busy week, and uh, I didn’t post a thing about it, apparently.

Most of my writing deficit is because we all got sick.

I ended up feeling bad over the Easter weekend (tonsillitis). T got sick a few days later (ear infection). And then K had a fever by the time this weekend rolled around (strep).

We all missed a little bit of work, a little bit of school, and lots of sleep.

I am not sure mom slept much at all for a day or two there…

Grams even came and stayed with us for two days to help out.

On top of all the back and forth, mom and I got our COVID vaccines too.

My shot made me achy and tired, but mom seemed to fair a little better.

I’ll just say we are an irritated and rung out group right now.

The worst part of it is that there are no breaks!

School and work just keep coming and coming.

We got this.

I love you.

-Dad