Adventures of an Alaskan Transplant

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Ketchikan for Grandma Kay

The last week and a half we spent in Ketchikan memorializing my husband's grandmother, Kay. While we were there, we were able to enjoy some beautiful, sunny, and warm weather.

Grandpa Don and Grandma Kay's view from the cemetery

Siblings

As it was likely my last trip to Ketchikan, we made the most of it and finally got me out to Misty Fjords National Monument on a flightseeing tour with the amazing Misty Fjords Air & Outfitting.

Landing in Rudyerd Bay

Rudyerd Bay

Punchbowl

Eddystone Rock

Ketchikan from the air

While we were there, my husband was able to hang out with both his sisters. The evening of Grandma's memorial service we all went to Refuge Cove Beach to watch the sunset (it is known by the locals as Sunset Beach).

Photo by Andrew Gichard

The last full day we were in town we went back to Ward Lake to hike around the lake. It was a great way to end such a trip.

Ketchikan has definitely grown on me and left a special place in my heart. It is a wonderful, unique town that I will miss.

Saying goodbye to Ketchikan

***All photography is property of the author of this blog.***

Grandma Kay

April 23, 2014 Grandma Kay passed away. Kay was my husband's grandmother, but is the woman who helped raise him.

She was of Russian Aleut descent, the youngest of twelve children, and an amazing woman, who will be greatly missed.

Andrew and Grandma at our wedding in 2005

Grandma on her deck

http://sitkasentinel.com/7/2012-05-10-22-08-43/obituaries/7167-kay-gichard

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9MbZRwOyZ3_Z2gybHJ5T1hkdVk/edit

Easter with our ACF Family

This Easter we were able to enjoy the resurrection of Jesus with our ACF family!
We started off the morning with our wonderful Life Group and best friends. "The Walking Dead" service was amazing, and we got to see many friends get baptized, including our friends Liana and John!

Photo by Ross Montgomery, ACF Church

After service, we all headed over to the Neelys to eat, hunt eggs, and hang out.
Lunch was amazing as usual (smoked turkey!), followed by an OUTDOOR Easter egg hunt. This is unheard of in Alaska. It was sunny, "warm", and most of the snow had melted!

Finally, we headed inside (the mosquitos were eating us alive) to hang out, snack, and watch Frozen.

It was a wonderful, laid back day with our best friends.

He is risen - He is risen indeed!

Monday, March 17, 2014

"Spring" in Talkeetna

This past Friday was our day off for spring break. Of course, "spring" is relative in Alaska. It was a gorgeous sunny and "warm" day (highs in the 40s!), so we took off north to Talkeetna with a group of friends.

We walked around the main drag in Talkeetna. Many businesses were closed, but we still had fun playing in the snow and large puddles.

Lunch was nice and filling at the Denali Brewing Company, followed by playing out on the river for awhile. Talkeetna is where three rivers meet; the Talkeetna, Chulitna, and Susitna; creating the Big Susitna drainage. It was a bit windy out on the ice, but it was gorgeous, so we had snowball fights and built a snowman.

Some open water on another part of the confluence

After some time on the ice, it started to cloud over, so we headed back home, just in time for a nice spring snowfall. Some areas of Anchorage got 24 inches! Thankfully, in Chugiak, we only had 4 inches.

***All photography is property of the author of this blog.***

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Grandpa Gobbo

Last month, my Grandpa Gobbo passed away. After a turbulent last month, I wanted to record my thoughts on such a great man.

Grandpa Gobbo, volunteer fireman with Suffern Fire Department for 48 years

Grandpa was born in 1928 in Pennsylvania. He married my grandma in 1951, and they had four great kids, the second youngest being my mom. Both Grandpa and Grandma had amazing New York accents - Grandma being born in Flushing, and Grandpa growing up in the Bronx.

Grandma and Grandpa dancing up a storm at my wedding in 2005

Growing up as an Air Force brat, the one house that was my "constant" through all the moves was Grandpa and Grandma's in New York. We often spent many a summer trip, Thanksgiving or Christmas break at their house, filled with the rest of my cousins who were blessed to grow up in New England and near each other. Grandpa and Grandma were often the first family members to come to visit us at each new base, and we would all play tourist together exploring our new home with them.

Grandpa, Aimee, and I in Pisa, Italy

Grandpa, Aimee and I at Exit Glacier, in Seward, AK

No matter what was going on, Grandpa could always make us laugh!

Grandpa leading the conga line at he & Grandma's 50th wedding anniversary party.

He led such an amazing and full life - serving in the U.S. Navy, working for H.O. Penn Caterpillar, and volunteering with the Suffern Fire Department. He and Grandma also brought into this world four children, eleven grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren. His obituary just shows only a portion of that incredible life: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?pid=169162787

Grandpa and Grandma and their four kids

On January 10, Grandpa passed away. Due to winter storms, I was unable to attend his services, but my family provided me with some stunning photos from his funeral. They show what a wonderful and loved man he was.