The kids will be in the water by nine and you won't see them again until they're hungry.

Our dock runs 5-6 feet deep, deep enough to actually jump off, which is rarer on this lake than you'd think. There's a slide off the dock into about 3-4 feet, just about the perfect depth for little ones. It's the first thing they run for and the last thing they leave.

Meanwhile you're on the shaded back deck with coffee, looking straight down at the dock. You can see them the whole time, which means you can actually sit down.

THE DOCK
Brand-new composite decking, finished this summer. Table and chairs out there too, so you can eat dinner on the water at sunset. Kayaks and a paddleboard are yours to use, along with a box of life jackets in a range of sizes and floats as a backup (bring your own for anyone who needs a specific fit).

THE FISHING
Genuinely good. Lake Charmaine holds largemouth bass, channel and blue catfish, crappie, bream and perch. Fish straight off the dock, where people do especially well after dark, or take the large kayak out and work the shoreline and coves. If you're serious about it, bring your own rig. This is a lake worth fishing properly. We keep a pole or two around if you just want to drop a line.

THE BACK DECK
Might be the best seat in the house. Comfortable couch, chairs, and the charcoal grill, all of it shaded and looking out over the water. Mornings out there and evenings after dinner are what guests bring up afterward.

THE FIRE PIT
It has a story. It was custom-made for me, with Cairo and a Trident cut into it. Cairo was my military working dog. We deployed together, and I wrote a book about him called No Ordinary Dog. There's some memorabilia inside if you're curious. Mostly though, it's where everybody ends up after dark. S'mores down by the water with the kids is about as good as this place gets.

THE HOUSE
2,300 square feet that feels like somebody's lake house, because it is.

Downstairs: the master with a king bed and its own full bath, a half bath for guests, and an open kitchen and living area that actually fits everybody. The couch is big and comfortable, the kind people end up asleep on.

Upstairs: a wide-open loft at the top of the stairs, then two more bedrooms with another king and a queen, and a second full bath down the hall. The loft is where the overflow sleeps and where the kids end up regardless of where you put them.

THE KITCHEN
Large and fully stocked. Pots and pans, baking sheets, mixing bowls, knives, utensils, plenty of counter space and room for more than one person to work. Both a Keurig and a drip coffee maker, because with a house this size somebody's always up before everybody else.

RAINY DAY? COVERED
Dartboard (always a bigger hit than we expect), video games, a whole cabinet of board games and puzzles, and a large smart TV with Apple TV and most streaming services including HBO, running through a surround sound system that makes movie night feel like an event. Fast wifi throughout if you need to get work done.

THE DETAILS
Pets are welcome, well-behaved and off the furniture, with a $100 pet cleaning fee. Parking is easy with a big driveway out front. Air conditioning, washer and dryer.

THE AREA
Lake Charmaine is a real East Texas lake community, not a resort. Quiet, wooded, and dark enough at night that you get actual stars. Neighbors wave. The neighborhood has several parks plus additional swimming and fishing spots beyond our dock, so there's more to explore than just our stretch of water. Woodville and Ivanhoe are a short drive for groceries, and Big Thicket National Preserve is close if anybody wants to hike.

About two hours east of Houston. Far enough to feel like you left, close enough to make it a weekend.

This is our family's place, not a corporate rental. We take care of it, and we're around if you need anything. If something isn't right, tell us and we'll fix it.