Hi hi hiii!!!! First- it feels good to be back!! Not just from our trip (although I love having the whole family together;), but back in this SPACE! I have been super MIA the past few months and am not quite ready to talk about why, but absolutely will share with you all what's been going on soon. Everyone is healthy- so nothing like that- just some work things that have kept me away. More on that later- and all that I've learned in the process- but right now I would love to share how special the past 72 hours have been. On to it! =)

Not only had I not been to the Great Wolf Lodge prior to this weekend, but I had actually never even heard of it! Just me?! We got the amazing offer to go last week - 'big girls trip' style - and I had some serious mom guilt about leaving Evie behind, but knew that she would be just fine with her daddy. So Bailee, Ry and I packed up and were Minnesota bound first thing Sunday morning- arriving in Bloomington (St. Paul) around noon, where I quickly decided we must move because ya'll that airport. Heaven. I digress. We arrived at GWL (about a 5 min drive from the airport) and it was absolutely lovely and easy (hear that mommas?) and so. much. fun. from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. 

I'm going to try to keep this as brief as I can because ya'll know me with my novels and I only have a few more minutes before the girls wake up, but I've been getting so many questions on my Insta Stories from parents who have thought about making a trip there and just don't know enough about it to pull the trigger that I wanted to give anyone interested a quick lowdown!

Our Experience:

• The space was perfect. If you've ever stayed at the Grand Californian at Disneyland, I would say the vibe is very similar, but without the Disney price tag so winning. Clean, comfy, and #bunkbeds so Riley was in heaven and declared it the 'best' hotel she's ever stayed at over a dozen times. Thinking we'll skip that Ritz bill next time! lol

• There is SO much to do, and it's all under one roof. Here's the list of what we were able to squeeze in in our 36 hours there, and we really needed at least another day to enjoy it all!Keep in mind, these things are literally at your fingertips.. no planning required! An actual break. Thank the lawd.

• Rock climbing

• Grubbing (pizza, buffets, and sit down restaurant options with very reasonable prices and big portions!)

• Creation Station (like Build-a-bear)

• Ben & Jerry's (that's an activity, right?)

• Story Time w/ one of their characters

• Glitter Tattoos

• Bulk Candy Shop

• Bowling

• Gem Mining

• High ropes course

• Arcade games

• Story Time

• And of course the waterpark, which had B and I laughing and screaming our a$$es off. Ha!

Waterpark Deets:
There were body slides, tube slides, a huge family slide, a wave pool, a lazy river, an area set up for littles, a wave rider, water basketball, a frog pond where I got to witness some serious determination out of my sweet five year old, and guys- a BAR! I will say I didn't make a trip to the one in the waterpark, but had Jordi been with me I can guarantee we would have been sharing a cocktail or two or three throughout the trip! Next time, for sure! ;)

And my last little tidbit- it is affordable (unlike another place we wear ears..;) and let's be honest, that makes it even more enjoyable. Less "no babe we can't do that' to my Riley and way more "go for it!" I love that. So much for my short version! lol I tried! Please shoot me a comment or a DM on Insta if you have any questions at all! The wolf ears might have gotten to me, but I seriously want every little kid to experience the fun that Ry did this week. It was SUCH a joy to see her challenging herself and be brave and having the opportunity to have a blast with her while she was doing it was literally priceless..! And don't even get me started on how special it was to have solo time with both her and B. I will stop now. That's a whole other day.. Ha!