We were in Bakersfield for Memorial Day this year to visit Grandpa and Grandma Richards. In the morning we went to the cemetery where grandma MarJean (Grandpa's first wife) and Grandpa Thad (grandma's first husband) are buried. The grandkids took turns cleaning the gravestone and trimming the grass around the edges. Our brother-in-law, Kendall, read a touching poem about soldiers who died defending our country and made a comment that stuck in my head. He hoped we would all be the kind of Americans that make America worth defending. 
We spent the rest of day swimming in grandpa Richards' pool with Heather and Kendall and various Bulkeley cousins. Uncle Sam's flying squirrel, the Gillespie triple layer jump off the diving board, Heather and Tara's wheelchair races and Aunt Kir's swim school were some pool highlights. Of course, Grandpa's famous homemade vanilla ice cream was a hit. We all had a blast!
