Made it Safely into the Rockies

Thanks be to God, all seven of us are now safely together in the same house in the Rocky Mountains. Coming in three parties from both coasts of the U.S. and also Europe, we all arrived one day later than planned, all had a flight cancelled, and yet all ended up hugging each other and rejoicing in God's protection and provision, yesterday afternoon.

We drove up through Vail Pass and Glenwood Springs, having stopped to pick up a Subway lunch (yum, a foot-long seafood on whole wheat with green peppers and lettuce and also tomato on David's half) and went straight to the airport in Aspen after our 4 hours on the road; and all three of our suitcases were there waiting for us. I love how small & friendly the Aspen airport is; I walked through the double sliding glass doors, spotted our bags sitting on the carpet nearby, and walked out with them. Slightly worryingly easy and unnoticed, but as David said, it would be bad karma to steal someone else's luggage.

Then it was up to the house to drop off stuff and verify what ski gear we were lacking, and off we went to rent skis for the kids. We passed the three grandparents on the road, as they were coming back with groceries and Christmas shopping bounty, but they didn't see us. We called them and arranged how we were going to return the rental car and so on.

Finally we had all greeted each other in person and had dinner together, played a rousing game of Hilarium (which we discovered works just as well with seven people, even though it proclaims itself for 3 to 6), and 4 hands of bridge, and it was time for bed.

Then began the LONG night during which altitude and jet lag combined to prevent the kids and me from sleeping much at all.

Never mind, in the morning we were raring to get out there and ski. Three generations of simultaneous skiers, a true delight in God's beautiful mountains.