three takes

Try, try, try again.  Every year just before Christmas my parents organized a family photo session with the intent of getting a good picture of us kids for the family Christmas greeting card.  Some years we went to a photography studio for a professional portrait.  Other years it was Dad with the camera taking our picture.  I came across several pictures that were taken in sequence during one evening of trying to get the perfect group shot.  Same suspects, different locations.

We started out seated on the couch in the living room and then moved the action to the piano located in the corner.  Duane actually played the piano so it was only fitting that he be seated on the piano bench.  I think we were "fake" singing and I was obviously overacting.  If inside the house didn't work, then move on to the trailer.  Yes, that's us, all of us, sitting very closely on the couch/pullout bed in the Airstream travel trailer.  I actually remember this photo session.  It was December of 1958.  We had just gotten the Airstream that summer and this was a good opportunity to use it in a family photo.  One thing I remember about this evening is getting dressed up so that we looked nice for the picture.  The general rule in our house was that when you came home from school, you always changed out of your school clothes and into play clothes.  We didn't have a lot of clothes so we needed to keep the good stuff in good condition.  Having to change back into our good clothes after supper was a bit of a chore.  Especially since we were going to put on pajamas in a short while.  But, we did it and we even combed our hair nicely.  So, this is what we did in early December every year.  We took our annual Christmas card picture.  Say cheese!!