Friday, September 21, 2012

A Birthday to Remember

We have two daughters with August birthdays.  They usually celebrate together because they have learned that they can celebrate in a much bigger way if they combine their $100 birthday budgets.  One of their dream birthday ideas has been to go to Great Wolf Lodge, but that has always been out of their price range.
Last spring we received a homeschool magazine that quickly caught their attention.  In it was a full-page ad from Great Wolf Lodge with a discount code for homeschoolers.  Even better, it applied to our family size of 6 (which really isn't all that common for a discount).  The girls were overcome with excitement because this discount brought the destination within their budget.  We tucked away the ad for the time when we would need the code. 
As it always does, life happened in the four months between the time we got the magazine and when I needed to book the room and the ad was nowhere to be found.  I emailed the company with all of the info I could remember and, lo and behold, I was emailed back within a day with the discount code.  I promptly booked our room and marked our calendar. 
Our kids have been counting down for over four weeks now and the date is nearly upon us.  I have been pleasantly surprised to find that our family isn't alone in planning for our celebration.  Since making the reservation, I have been contacted by staff from Great Wolf Lodge on three occasions via phone and email.  Of course, I received the normal confirmation email, but it was full of helpful details.  A couple of weeks ago, a sweet lady called to let me know about the hours of the water park so we can plan our stay accordingly.  She also answered several questions of mine and helped me better plan for our stay.  This week I received another email.  Because we are going for the homeschool week, this email listed several extra activities planned during our stay.  I told my husband that I can't see how we will possibly have time to do all of the things we want to do.  That's just the way I like a family outing because no one has time to get bored and they leave with happy memories of a fun-packed adventure.
To be fair, I have to add that there was a small problem when I booked our reservation.  The price was higher than what I was first told (and was advertised).  I booked it anyway and promptly emailed the hotel.  Within two days, the additional cost was refunded to my credit card.
If this is the service we get before we've even arrived, I am expecting a wonderful time during our stay.  I'll share those memories when we get back!