As I write, we have two more sleeps until "Auntie H" arrives from the U.K., and everybody's getting excited. Both my family and my hubby's are all in the U.K. and we don't get back too often, so it's a real treat when we get visitors coming this way.

For starters, we place orders for all the things we can't get over here and that we miss from England. I'm partial to Mr Kipling's cakes, and there's usually a good supply of English candies that are fun to share with the kids. It's very funny for me to see their surprise when the purple or black sweets are blackcurrant flavour, a complete mirror to my face when I realize that over here they are usually grape (something I still can't get used to).

Then, of course, there's the opportunity to see our home through new eyes again. I quickly realize how accustomed we have become to Canada - the landscape, the food, the language - when my sister comes along and finds much of what feels very familiar to me now strange, different, beautiful or interesting. We get to play tourist again for a while: skiing, checking out the sights, eating out and watching hockey. Not that we don't do some of these things the rest of the time, but it's so much more fun with a tourist to give you a fresh perspective.

A bigger part of what's so special, of course, is connecting with my sister again, sharing the nuances of everyday life for each of us (which we don't always get to share in weekly or bi-weekly conversations), having fun together, encouraging each other to try another ski run.

Although we are quite different (she doesn't have kids for a start, so I can't imagine what she must think of the chaos at our house), we have always gotten on well and despite often living a distance away I'd be happy if my own kids have as good a rapport when they are older.

Similarly, the chance for the kids to connect with their extended family is huge because the distance does mean they don't get to see the rest of our family as much as we would like. I'm thrilled that we have Skype and Messenger these days, as we feel much more connected than we otherwise might. You'd be amazed at the fun you can have trying to persuade a three-year-old to give Granddad a bite of his cookie or playing peekaboo by disappearing out of sight of the cam-era. We had great fun at Christmas sharing the romper suits that my mother-in-law bought us, for instance. Nothing we could have described by phone could have portrayed the image of me in a cow pattern from head to toe and Hubby as a tiger, complete with hood and ears, quite so adequately.

Keeping that connection is so important as I really want my kids to know just how special extended families are. Although I only have one sister and one first cousin, I have always had a lot of contact with my various aunts, uncles and distant cousins and feel truly enriched by these relationships.

So as much as we try to stay in touch and regularly chat online, there's still nothing better than going to the airport to collect a great big hug. The whole family wearing romper suits will make for an extra-special welcome, because they too are all the more impressive in real life. An accompanying sign saying "Welcome to the mad house" should explain things adequately.

. Clare Adams is a Tri-Cities mom.