The week was nearly over--Robert and Christina sweltered on Saturday afternoon at the foot of the mountain, with a white sky that did not foretell snow behind them. The weather had been warm--so warm, especially if one wasn't skiing at top speed on ice on Storm Peak, that all the children in ski school had to be brought lighter-weight jackets in order to be comfortable. Most afternoons ended with a post-skiing hot tub or pool dip, with various adults taking turns watching the children, and/or with a visit to the Steamboat Grand owners' lounge, with an Internet-enabled computer for Robert to get his fix on, snacks to tide over hungry children and Roberts and Brians, and a comfortable chair to collapse in before heading back to the house.

Easter Sunday Robert and I were awakened by Aurora and Evan tip-toeing up the stairs to the loft in order to verify that the Easter Bunny had not, in fact, accidentally left their baskets up by our bed. S/he had not, as it turned out--Aurora's basket had in fact been carelessly left at Grandma Judy and Papa Bill's house, so they had to deliver it much later in the day. When we eventually realized that all the children were awake and no one was going back to sleep, we got up and had an Easter breakfast--complete with squabbles over who got to eat which nicely dyed hard-boiled egg--at home. At right are Brian and Brandon, Brandon surrounded by Easter candy and gum from his Easter basket.

After a late-morning dip in the pool, Brian and Lisa, et al., left midday on Sunday to drive back to Denver for their flight, and soon after that, Bill drove the Chicago crew to the airport in Hayden to catch their flight home. He turned around and picked up me, Robert, and Judy, and we all headed back to the airport to drop me off for my flight, as Robert would be staying until Tuesday to spend a little extra time with his mother. Below are Jennifer and John in the pool on Easter morning, and Lauren in the hot tub. Lauren is holding, rather than eating, a milk chocolate bunny lollipop that Judy made and delivered to her while she was in the water. By the end of the morning, chlorine and chocolate had of course become somewhat mixed.

So, with plans to schedule another grand gathering in Steamboat again as soon as Judy and Bill recovered from the strain--best estimates place this at Christmas 2003, tentatively--and hopes for a partial gathering in August in Minnesota, everyone parted. The company, and the skiing, had been great.