My son Ray and his wife Jennifer and my Granddaughter Ellery came down from Boise this week to visit with me. Wow! What a treat.

My Granddaughter Ellery just turned 2 years old this past Christmas Eve and it was so much fun having them here. The main purpose of their visit was just to spend some time together so we didn't have any big tourist trips planned.  That said we did have a few excursions together.

They arrived on Monday evening late. They were scheduled to be here in the early evening but they got caught in a traffic jam north of Flagstaff where there was a lot of snow and a road accident that held them up for about 5 hours.

We got together the next morning and went to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant just off Deer Valley Rd. for breakfast. Then we were off to the Anthem Outlet Mall. Then we went over to the Desert Ridge Marketplace on Tatum Blvd. where we killed a few hours window shopping before we went for dinner at the Chuck E. Cheese Playground Restaurant.  This was by the request of Ellery.  It appears it is one of her favorite places.  After seeing her going from game to game and ride to ride for what seemed hours, I can believe it is her favorite place. I got tired just watching her. I had forgotten how much energy children can have at that age.

On Wednesday Ray, Jennifer and Ellery went down to Yuma to spend a day with Ray's great grandparents.

They returned early afternoon Thursday and we met for a while then went over to Cave Creek, Arizona to meet and have dinner with Wally Latall (my best friend) and Liz. We ate at a really neat and favorite place of mine, The Satisfied Frog. Most everyone had all you can eat Beef Ribs which is their every day special. Boy was their corn bread great! This was also my farewell to Wally and Liz as I was also departing Phoenix on Saturday.

On Friday we spent the day at my place. In the afternoon we went over next door to where I live and had lunch and visited the Pioneer Living History Museum. Ellery and Jennifer, especially, enjoyed walking around the old west settlement reconstruction. They had displays such as a real working Blacksmith shop with a Blacksmith working while we were there.

After the visit to the Pioneer Living History Museum we were a little tired so went back to my place then we went down to Happy Valley Shopping Center for a little Pizza at Ray's Pizza.  Ray and I were wondering where were our share of Ray's Pizza profits.

Then this morning Ray, Jennifer, Ellery and I met for breakfast at the Pioneer Living History Museum Restaurant. Then we went back to my place to say our good byes and they departed back to Boise and I departed for Carlsbad, New Mexico.