Spice

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Russ Spice
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My page below shows current pictures from many family members.
Newer pictures on top, with the older ones as you scroll down.
For archived pictures click on the names above.

John Durst, sixth grade

Samantha Durst, first grade.

Bass Pro Shop Christmas Wonderland
November 8, 2009
Toledo Ohio

Elf Jess trys to cheer up a crying little girl.

Santa checking his mail box.

Santa checking on an Elf

Santa loves playing with his train.

What a neat Hayride.

Mom, I gotta watch Grnadpa so he doesn't get lost.

Steven and Gunther, my ghost, at cider mill

Michigan Santa's
Bavarin Inn, Frankenmuth Michigan
Sunday October 18, 2009
(I am in last row and can't be seen)

Christmas is getting close.
Santa Mall job starts Nov 8.

Detroit Zoo, October 2009

t-shirt says: The fun has arrived.!!

Tracy and Julie

Royal Oak Phoenix Chapter
Order of DeMolay
Installation of Officers
September 18, 2009
Aaron Proudfoot, Master Councilor
Steven Proudfoot, Senior Deacon

Detroit Commandery No. 1 K.T. provided an escort

Aaron with his Grandpa Spice and Great Uncle, Charles Spice, both of whom were Master Councilor's of Hazel Park Chapter back in the 1960's

Aaron with Mom, Julie Proudfoot

family members who attended the Installation.
plus Aunt Pat who took the picture

The snow is working its way down the mountain.
September 2009
Palmer Alaska

Gunther loves to help with the firewood

all dressed up for a wedding

August 2009 Cruise on the Detroit River with Santa.

Carrie Newcomb Briggs and her twins
They are growing up and I have not seen them yet.

Tracy, Rick, Gunther, Sitka and their friend Angie, drove up the Dalton Highway, aka Haul road. This is the same road on this years' Ice Road Truckers show on TV. Around Fairbanks they ran into a lot of Forest Fires. Later they crossed the Arctic Circle and then found this really great place to camp out in the middle of nowhere.

Gunther and Sitka playing sticks, when Sitka just walks off with it while Gunther complains, "hay, bring it back to me"

Then below Gunther and Sitka go fishing in a great wide open area north of the Arctic circle. What more do you need. A boy with his dog and a fishing pole.

The pipeline on the left as seen through a dirty windshield.

Joan Benjamin Angert with her 3 children
Barb, Tom, Ellen
2009

	Kayla's newly decorated bedroom
Well this is a good one. Looks like Chuck is turning into the Green Hulk or something. Must be that Detroit shirt.

Catie turns 40 and John throws a nice party for her.

This moose is crossing Rick and Tracy's driveway. Notice that the mountain across the river still has patches of snow on July 30.

On the left is Rick and Aaron fishing.

Below, Gunther is telling mom to put the camera down and eat. And then he wants to go fishing too, but had to sit on the shore.

2 new pictures of Gunther, July 2009

Getting ready for applying for jobs with a Santa agency and needed a couple of pictures. (The Santa belt was missing)

Julie, Wally, Aaron, and Steven drove down to Florida and found 2 great restaurants along the way. The very First KFC is in Corbin Kentucky where Steven and Julie posed with the Colonel. Also the Varsity Hot Dog shop in Atlanta Georgia. It is the worlds largest drive in with space for 600 cars. They had seen it on the Travel Channel and then by chance they spotted it just off the freeway on the way through town.

They stopped at Amy and Rick's house on the way down and on the way back up to Michigan. Here is a picture of Amy and Kayla. Kayla is now 4 years old.

Santa picnic, Portland Mi. June 13, 2009

Aaron's 15th birthday
during the Stanley Cup finals against Pittsburgh

MAPS (Mich. Assoc. of Prof. Santa's) met in Frankenmuth for lunch and a stroll through town. Above are half of the group. The other half scattered about town before we remembered to take a picture. Below left is Chef John Zehnder, Exec Chef of Zehnder's. Below right is Bill Zehnder, President of the Bavarian Inn. It was Bill's birthday and the Santa's sang Happy Birthday to him. Santa Joel Florida and myself are both in both pictures.

Kalamazoo Beard & Mustache Guild held a beard and mustache contest on May 8. Six of us from the Detroit Beard League drove over and brought home 4 awards. I won second place in the full beard category. It was a great party and I saw many great beards and mustache's. The World contest is in Anchorage in 2 weeks, but sadly I will not be able to attend this year.

Mario and Santa

My new friends from the Detroit Beard League.
Brandon, Ryan, and Mike
also Ellen and Sara (not pictured)

	Rick is building Gunther a jungle gym type play set. And looking at Gunther's face, it appears that he approves. I also think he is supervising Rick's every move.


Spring has arrived in Alaska and that means it is MUD TIME!!! Oh boy is this fun or what.??? But it is also time to clean up the yard with Dad and Mom. Hay mom, put the camera down and come help. I am only 2 years old you know, this is a lot of work.

THE BIG HOUSE GETTING BIGGER, SPRING 2009

The new luxury boxes are taking shape. The outside will be getting bricks over this colored insulation board. Steve and I at our normal seats. Then last is a view of the Spring game crowd of over 50,000 which was announced as the largest ever for a spring event at UM.


Sherrie's 13th birthday with her parents, Eric and Sue.

This is Sherrie's basketball team.


On the left is a new shot of the mountain as seen out their front window. I believe this was the week they got both snow and volcano ash fall. Then there was the 4.6 earthquake and the grizzlies should be waking up soon. On the right, Gunther has found his own snow machine to play on. It is in one of those great child play areas that those of us my age never had to play in.

I went to Toledo to have lunch with a few friends. Most were from Ohio, hence those ugly flags and outer wear. My hat says Michigan.

Group picture of the 23 Santa's

9 from Michigan and 2 from New York; with the rest of them Buckeyes.

The canes are something I make and sell.

Now that is a great hat. Tracy and Gunther enjoying a good book.


Installed Officers of Royal Oak Phoenix DeMolay along with Installing Officers and Sweethearts. Aaron in now the Senior Councilor and Steven is Senior Deacon. March 2009. Also pictures of Julie, Uncle Steve, and Grandpa, each with Steven and Aaron.

here is Pat's new scooter
so stay off your side walk, she'll run you over

Gunther with Rick and Tracy's new snowmobile. Now they have two. Is that a "can we go for a ride" look?

Homer Alaska and the winter gathering of Eagles.


Here I am Feb. 19, 09 at Breithaupt School. The Cosmo class of 12 Senior girls work on me and the finished product is over here on the right. From Grizzly Adams to Santa Claus. Who says school girls can't work miracles?


Gunther is collecting wood for the wood stove to keep the house warm. I think he likes the Alaskan winters.

Tracy, Rick, and Gunther went to Homer Alaska for a NY Eve party.
This view is from the front porch of where they stayed.
January 1, 2009

Sherrie's 2008 school photo

Dawn Endico came in from sunny California and ends up
plowing 9 inches of snow for Dad.
Isn't that some kind of TV reality show?

Kayla Townsley

Christmas card photo
Benjamin, Matt, Sarah, and Andrew Schwerin

Gabe opening Christmas present with Dad

Holly and Chris with
Xavier, Jared, and Gabe

Gunther in his LL Bean shirt. Looks like a good ad to me.

Maybe LL Bean will call???

Parents call it the terrible two's but to grandparents two is a great age. Wish I was up there.

The shed is looking better everyday. Or is that a mother-in-law apt.?? Not sure

December 4, 2008

Hay MOM, did you know Dad put a tree in the living room??


Gunther turned 2 years old on November 2, 2008. Here he is eating his chocolate birthday cake. Check out those great curls. Ladies pay big bucks for that.


I might just be a proud grandpa, but those sure are some cute rosy cheeks. Rick and Gunther make good carpenter partners. October 2008.


Rick and Tracy are building a shed and wood storage bin. Of course Gunther has to help. Below, I think he was catching snow flakes on his tongue, or maybe the camera lady was holding out a candy bar???


Mom, Dad, look, my tent went up faster than your shed.

Matt and Renee throw a great tailgate party. Plasma TV, Satellite, food, and beverage. It's a great way to start and end a day.

Renee, Matt and Steve in back
Art and Russ in front

East side private boxes being built

We arrive 2 hours before kickoff and watch both teams practice. We also watch the Big House fill up. This is the east side boxes from inside the stadium.

Steve, Russ, and Carl
We have sat behind Carl for a couple of decades.

Kickoff
110,000+ fans

We also stay for the band show after the game.
We are one of the first to enter and one of the last to leave.
By the way, Michigan won, 27-25 over Wisconsin.

This is our brick at the SE gates
It speaks for itself

September 19, 2008

Aaron just installed as Junior Councilor

Steven being installed as Junior Deacon

Mom with her DeMolay guys.

I think this is a great picture of Julie (she's still my girl in my eyes)

Aaron, Julie, and Steven
Lake Michigan

Steven in DC taking pictures of mom taking pictures of a bride.

Steven in Washington DC September 2008

Steven in Washington DC at the Roosevelt memorial. Standing in a soup line.

Steven and Julie in Washington DC

Gunther at Alaska State Fair petting zoo.
Hay Dad, this is a cow!!!

My hippies in their tie dyed clothes,
checking out the goats at the State Fair
August 2008

It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves -Sir Edmund Hillary

Puddles 101
Instructor, Gunther Polzin, Alaska

Puddles are one of Mother Nature's greatest mysteries. They contain so much fun, mystery, and wonder, that they can captivate a little boy (or even a grandpa) for hours. You can fish in them, go looking for Moby Dick, or sail great boats on long journeys looking for pirates or even Peter Pan. You can see yourself in them or poke it with a stick and makes those neat circles. One of the most marvelous uses of a puddle is to jump in them. You have to use style. Keep both feet together and jump into the puddle that way. Try to make a big slash. It should be an Olympic event. And when mom comes running and screams "I said not to jump in that puddle", smile your best innocent smile and say "I didn't hear the word not". Puddles are great for nerves and depression. They are very calming. Most adults need to try them with a kid as the puddle teacher. Kids would love to teach you all about the marvels of puddles.

We welcome two new members to the family - twins

Above is Michael Briggs, born July 25, 2008; one minute after his sister, Gracie (in the car seat to the right) Proud parents, Doug and Carrie Briggs now have their hands full with 4 children 5 years old and under. But I am sure grand parents Brian and Terri will be there.

The Anchorage newspaper has a nice video about Pioneer Peak, which is the mountain Tracy, Rick, and Gunther live on
click here to view it

Mother nature and young boy, unspoiled by human advances.
Hatchers Pass, Alaska, June 2008

There are only two lasting legacies we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings. -Hodding Carter, 1935 -

Hatcher's Pass, Alaska
Happiness is where you find it.
July 23, 2008

Charlie and Marlene's Grandkids
Andrew Schwerin, John and Samantha Durst, Benjamin Schwerin, and Kayla Townsley

We don't have a Kroger store, so we get dinner here. The fish is much fresher and taste great.

J. D. Newcomb and his fiancé Jesse Losse.
taken on the campus of Virginia Tech. in 2007.
Wedding was on October 18, 2008

Recieved this wonderful family photo from Brian. Hope I get this correct but we have
l-r, top to bottom
Carrie and Doug
J.D., Terri, Brian, and Jason
Ellen (2)and Brendan (4)

Holly, Chris and Gabe
Holly is Uncle Bob's and Aunt Hazel's grand daughter

My Three Grandsons
Steven, Aaron, and Gunther
(one step up on Fred McMurry - ala 60's TV)

Julie, Tracy, and Gunther

I am chilling out in Resurrection Bay at Seward Alaska. In the background is a cruise ship leaving port. It rained a lot while we were there, but that didn't bother me. I have watched many football games in the rain, so why not cruise ships.

Hay, what is this camping thing?

I have got to check this out, it just might be fun?

Rita, Tracy, Gunther and I, on the boat docks in Seward Alaska.

This is the fish pole in Seward. These are not our fish, but they are from a charter fishing boat. We saw many such strings of fish on the pole the two days we were there. So charter yourself a boat and fill your freezer with salmon. Thanks to Rick, Oskar, and Aaron, we took home 6 fish.

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