High Five for Friday (7.15.16)

1. After visiting Madison, Wisconsin and Minocqua, Wisconsin, the four Ferri picked up my parents and drove south to Washington, Illinois to visit my sister and her family. We hadn't seen each other since Thanksgiving (though my mom and my niece, Lily, visited us in Texas back in April) so we had a lot to catch up on as families, siblings, and cousins.

2. While in Washington we held our every-few-years garage sale and lemonade stand. We didn't see our biggest crowd or bring in our largest totals, but we had fun and made enough money to justify a trip to the outlet mall later this month.

3. My fear of snakes keeps me from swimming - or allowing my kids to swim - in Texas' lakes. (Interesting fact: there are no naturally occurring lakes in the entire state of Texas. Caddo Lake in Northeast Texas started off naturally, but was turned into a reservoir in the early 20th century.) And while I also fear the fish found in Wisconsin's natural lakes, fish scare me considerably less than snakes and therefore do not keep me from swimming in these natural bodies of water. Swimming in Madison's Lake Wingra - where I learned how to swim - for the first time in decades felt physically refreshing on a hot July day, but also emotionally refreshing as I let the water wash away some of what has weighed me down this last week.

Will and Hallie have swum in lakes only a handful of times before, but they - along with their cousins - fully embraced the fishy, sea weed-y experience.

4. This kid hasn't napped in years, but so far on vacation we've worn him out to the point of falling asleep in the middle of the day multiple times. How is possible for someone to look so old and so young at the same time?!

While watching television on the couch.

While eating dinner.

While riding in the car. (Note the excellent photobomb by Hallie).

While riding in the car, round 2. Notice how the one
child who should be napping is the only one still awake? 

5. Happiness Highlights:

Oh, Wisconsin...I adore your cheeses.

Oh, Sara...I adore how you stockpile in your glove compartment
enough ketchup to get you through a months-long tomato shortage.

This friendly kitty - who followed my sister and me on a walk - had one
green and one blue eye. Seeing this phenomenon in person was incredibly cool!

Super heroes in capes walking home from the beach.

Happy Friday, Chasing Roots!

Linking up with High Five for Friday here: