Come see us in 2008!

I don't want to pull up the "Welcome Mat," but the year 2008 will be a great time for family and friends to come see us down in Arizona.     

Now I confess I am missing a lot of people.      This summer marks our fourth in Arizona and four years is a long time between visits.      We've had a couple of visitors.     Sure we get e-mails and cards and phone calls.      But there is so much to show off down here it is hard to get excited sending photo attachments.      

On the other hand, this time has also allowed us to develop our new friendships, associates, and relationships.      Laury has made so many friends.       John, private and shy as he is, has found a few buddies of which he can talk some serious baseball and hiking.       Liam says he never has enough friends but there are always kids over at the house or him over at theirs.

In other words, we are not exactly lonely and homesick.      But it is time to start promoting old friends and family to come down and see what we have to offer.      Excuse me for being vain, but timing does make a difference when you want to show off your new life.

When we first came down here, our development was kinda' on its own with nothing more than the corner gas station/convenience store.     Getting here was a challenge, driving an old country road that was now crowded and dangerous.      In some way, I suppose, we were pioneers in a new area of development.      To say we were in the sticks and had to drive miles for anything said it all.

All that is changing.      Let me start with access.      US 60, the main freeway east out of Phoenix (also known as the Superstition Freeway) is currently being widened from six lanes to 12 east of Mesa.       That project will be finished later this summer.      Meanwhile, a second freeway, Loop 202 South (also known as the San Tan Freeway) is complete from Interstate 10 at Ahwatukee to US 60 near Apache Junction.      Several access roads from this freeway to Queen Creek have been widened including Ellsworth Road, now a fast four and six-lane expressway.

Our major connection, Ironwood Road, is currently being widened into a four-to-six lane expressway.      The most dangerous section, between our neighborhood and Apache Junction, will be finished by the end of this year.      You can already see the difference in the sections already completed.

Finally, we are getting the amenities we need.      At the corner of Ironwood and Ocotillo, we are getting a small shopping center.      A second larger center across the street will begin construction this fall.      We are also getting a medical center.      More houses are going up but in Queen Creek proper we have a new shopping center in town and Westcor is building one of the largest malls in the valley on the northside of town.      

By 2008, our neighborhood is going to look quite different and very easily accessed.      

So make your plans and come see us.      We have room, it's easy to get here, there are lots of stores and restaurants, and oh yes, there is a lot to see down here in Arizona.       By the way, if your favorite baseball teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Indians, they will start their spring training here in 2009.      

So come see us!