Every holiday season brings both wonderful times and challenging family situations for most of us, my family included.  This past holiday season included the first visit to our home of my in-laws, the first time my sons and I would be apart, and the first time my wife and I would be apart during this festive time of the year.  Can I say I learned more about our relationships?  You bet.  Was it easy and fun?  You be the judge.

Let’s start with the in-laws.  Like many things, I had expectations about how we’d all relate and get along, mostly based on our previous visits together at their home in Vancouver, B.C.  But, as I never seem to learn or remember, expectations rarely turn out as expected.  In this case, I am very pleased to say they turned out better.