When my family first began blogging there was a Influencer/ Blogging looking for Content Creators to come out to her home for the kids to check out a Video Game Truck she was hosting at her home. My family was invited out so David, Charlie and I went and Charlie had so much fun that he is still taking about the truck and being able to play on it.

Now, that Charlie will be turning 10 this year I never thought when Charlie was little, I would have imagined that one day I’d be sitting here planning his 19th birthday and wondering whether a video game truck could still pull up in front of our house. But here I am.

Charlie has always loved video games and when he was little, anything that lit up, made noise, had buttons to push, or involved a screen could pretty much get his attention. And somewhere along the way, that little boy grew up. Now he’s 19. He still loves and plays video games constantly with not only his friend’s but David too.

Charlie and David loves gaming, technology, photography and all the things that make them who they are today. And his birthday is coming up right before Christmas. The funny thing is, Charlie says he doesn’t really want birthday presents. Of course, that doesn’t stop his mom from thinking.

Once we got home from her home I loved the idea so much that I actually tried to pitch a video game truck for Charlie’s birthday. It didn’t happen. And you know what? That’s okay. Sometimes we work hard to make something happen, and it simply isn’t the right time.

I’ve learned over the years that when something doesn’t work out, I don’t have to look at it as a failure. Sometimes it just wasn’t in the Lord’s will for that particular moment. So we moved on. Charlie kept growing. And growing. And growing. Now, he is a young man.

Fast-forward to today. I was sitting here thinking about what I could possibly do for Charlie as he turns 19. Then I wondered something: Do video game trucks even still exist? So I did what most of us do these days. I Googled it. And suddenly there they were.

Video game trucks are still very much a thing. And then I found something that made me smile. There is a game truck company based right here in North Richland Hills. Right here in my own backyard. For me that was a Godsend as I would be able to pormote a local company.

That’s when the idea came back. What if a video game truck pulled up for Charlie’s 19th birthday? Now, I know this isn’t exactly the same as when he was little. Charlie doesn’t have a house full of little boys waiting to jump into a game truck anymore. He’s 19.

Maybe it would be Charlie and David. Maybe my nephew would come over and play. Maybe it would be a much smaller group than the birthday parties we imagined when Charlie was little. But maybe that’s okay, too. Because maybe this isn’t about throwing the biggest birthday party.

Maybe it’s about giving a young man who says he doesn’t want presents one experience that makes him smile. And because his birthday is so close to Christmas, I could even look at it differently. Maybe the experience could be his birthday and Christmas present.

In our house, if I were able to make something like this happen, it would probably be the big gift. And honestly? I think that would be okay. There is another reason I started thinking about what would be inside the truck. David has been wanting a Nintendo Switch and a Mario game.

I’ve seen him looking at them at Walmart, and as much as I would love to surprise him with one, that’s just not something I can make happen this year. So when I started looking at game trucks, I thought: What if the truck had Nintendo Switch? Which would allow me to give David a gift he wasn’t expecting and one-on-one time with Charlie.

Blue Wave Games lists Nintendo Switch among the systems available in its game trailer. That means maybe Charlie wouldn’t be the only one having fun. Maybe Dad could get in there and play Mario, too. And honestly, that would make me pretty happy because I would be giving my family something they’ve only dreamed of.

I’m always looking for ways to create memories for my family that don’t necessarily involve buying everybody a pile of presents. Sometimes an experience is worth more than something wrapped in a box. Before anybody asks — no, I probably wouldn’t be fighting Charlie and David for the controller.

I’m old school. Give me Atari. Give me Pac-Man. Give me a book. Give me my phone and my television. And then you can leave me alone while everybody else plays video games. I’ll be a happy camper. Although if you have PacMan I might play a game or two. Would you want to join me?

As I started looking to see whether video game trucks were still around, I discovered Blue Wave Games, a local mobile game-truck business based in North Richland Hills. That immediately caught my attention. One of the things I’ve been wanting to do more of with Greatful Moments is discover and share businesses, activities and experiences right here in our own backyard.

We don’t always have to drive across the Metroplex to find something fun for our families. Sometimes the experience we’re looking for may be right down the road. Blue Wave Games says it serves North Richland Hills and regularly travels throughout North Central Texas, including Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Denton, Garland, Irving, Grapevine, Richland Hills, Weatherford, Azle and surrounding communities. The company also says its no-surcharge service area extends about 30 miles from its base.

And this isn’t just a truck with a couple of televisions inside. Blue Wave describes its game trailer as climate controlled, with nine 4K television gaming stations, including six inside and three outside. It offers Xbox One S, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch systems, wireless controllers, a racing simulator, surround sound and music streaming.

The outside gaming stations can accommodate additional players under the trailer’s large awning, and Blue Wave says the game truck can accommodate up to 21 players inside and 12 additional players outside. So even though I’m thinking about a very small family birthday, this is clearly something that could also be used for a much larger party.

One thing I didn’t expect to find when I started looking was laser tag. Blue Wave Games also offers laser tag for up to 10 players. That caught my attention because it gives families another way to make an event special. You could have gaming. You could have laser tag. And you could potentially have both at the same event.

Suddenly I’m not just imagining Charlie sitting in a gaming chair playing video games. I’m imagining Charlie, David and whoever else we can convince to come over getting to play games and maybe laser tag together. Now that sounds like an experience our friends and family would enjoy.

Of course, eventually Mom has to ask the practical question: How much does this cost? Blue Wave Games currently lists its game truck at $175 per hour with a two-hour minimum. Additional hours are listed at $100 per hour. So the current published minimum would be $350.

That’s not pocket change. But it also got me thinking. If I were able to make this happen for Charlie, his birthday and Christmas are so close together that this could potentially be the one big experience he receives from us And honestly, I think an experience like this could be worth saving for.

I would love to see whether a smaller weekday family experience might ever be possible, especially since we wouldn’t need a huge party. But that’s a question for another day. For now, I’m just dreaming. If your family would be interested in a video game truck Blue Wave Games asks customers to book in advance because reservations are first come, first served. Families can call the company or use the contact form on its website to inquire about an event.

Blue Wave Games
North Richland Hills, Texas
Phone: 817-253-4158
Website: Blue Wave Games

If you’re considering a game-truck party, contact the company directly for current availability, pricing, game selection and specific event details. I still don’t know whether a video game truck will actually pull up in front of our house for Charlie’s 19th birthday. Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t.

Maybe this is something I save toward and make happen another year. Maybe it’s Charlie’s 21st birthday. Maybe it’s his 25th. Maybe, somehow, it’s his 35th. God only knows where this will lead us. And that’s one of the things I love about Greatful Moments.

I don’t just want this website to be a place where I write about products or share things families can buy. I want it to open doors. I want the stories I tell here to lead to new opportunities for my family as Charlie grows up. Maybe that’s what makes this particular idea so exciting to me.

Years ago, I tried to make a video game truck happen for Charlie. It didn’t happen then. Now, almost a decade later, I’m sitting here looking at one based right here in North Richland Hills and wondering if maybe the timing is finally different. I don’t know. I’m not going to pretend I do.

If the opportunity comes along and I’m able to give my son an experience I never thought I’d be able to afford, I’ll be grateful. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll still be grateful. Because I can work hard. I can save. I can take surveys. I can build up my Swagbucks. And I can keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Maybe someday I’ll be standing in my driveway watching a video game truck pull up, looking at Charlie and thinking about that little boy who once climbed into one at another family’s home. And maybe I’ll smile and think: Look how far we’ve come. For now, I’m just dreaming. And sometimes,

I think dreams are a pretty wonderful place to start. That is why I put one foots in front of the other just like the Little Engine Who Could as I work hard to keep the circle unbroken as I make new memories while staying grateful, thankful and blessed for the opportunities to LORD brings into my families Lives.

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates