When is the best time of year to go to the lake?

In the Fall of course!
Especially if mom brings Cheetos....
....and Diet Coke!

The kids were off track, and the middle of September was still nice and warm, so I decided the kids and I would pack up and head for the lake.

When we got there everything appeared closed. Which was nice....since that also included the fee booth (as a matter of fact, it wasn't even there anymore). We quite literally had the ENTIRE beach to ourselves except for three people clear down at the other end of the beach. We only saw 2-3 boats all day!

The weather was in the low 90's and we had all the sand and shade we could ever want!

Even though they were all off-track, at least we know they still remembered how to write their names.

Seth loves the beach but is not too fond of the water if it is deeper than about his shin. So he sits in his floaty with half of it on shore and half of it in the water watching the other kids play....and is perfectly content to do so.

Brooke had some help writing her name but has started to recognize her name by the two big "circles" in the middle.

Karissa didn't know what we were doing...but look at all the shadows in the bottom of the picture. This is what it takes to get a kid in our family to look at the camera. They think if I call their name and say "smile" that it is their cue to look away and pay no attention.

Karissa loved playing with the buckle on the life jacket.

Look at those happy kids and the BEAUTIFUL fall colors in the mountains behind them. As I sat and watched them play I thought to myself, "I wish this day would never end". But alas, all good things must come to an end.

Karissa crawlin' along the beach.

WOW!

Until next year Pineview. We LOVE you!