Everything always gets better...

...after you leave.

I give you Sehmel Homestead Park in Gig Harbor.

Sehmel Drive was most often known as "the road that the Mauss family chased the bus down after they missed the bus AGAIN".    Back in our public school days of elementary school.  When there was actually a bus to ride.  At our exit, when we were tiny wee Mausses, you literally had to make a LEFT TURN across Highway 16 to get home.  Cross the highway.  No overpass.

Now there, a full overpass with new roundabouts, a Target, Costco, Home Depot, Albertsons, McDonalds, Qdoba, and Starbucks all within 3 miles.  And St. Anthony Hospital.

But the best addition so far is the new Sehmel Park.  The Sehmel Homestead is almost 100 acres, homesteaded in 1884.  It took nearly 20 years to get the details decided between the Sehmel family and the city -- and finally, the Park opened in May.  It has an incredible Boundless Playground (for kids with and without disabilities), a full soccer/football field, baseball and softball diamonds, a garden, meadow, amphitheater, and 70 acres of 'natural area' to walk through.  {Here's a map overview -- clearly, we only saw ONE tiny spot of the whole park while we were there!}

Thomas was pretty excited.  So were we.  I was a little jealous.  I live an hour away now.


He rang the bell.  A lot.


First time down a slide...the slow side.  Took him a few runs to realize it was WAY MORE FUN sitting up instead of laying down while going down.


On the "Sway Fun" which rocks back and forth...


A future numbers geek like his mommy?


Running to Papa and Grandpa. 


Sliding down with Papa. 


So excited to back, find the meadow, and scout out Finian Road shooting spots!