The photo above, with Grandma and Grandpa Sanchez, dad, Georgann and me might be the first Christmas photo taken in Whittier. The tree, while flocked white like snow, is a real Christmas tree. It appears to be dark outside, so this was probably taken on Christmas Eve, maybe 1954 or 1955. It may have been the following school year of 1955-6 or 1956-7, Grandma Sanchez insisted that Georgann and I attend Catholic school for a year, at least. I remember mom told us about this arrangement and that Grandma Sanchez would pay for our Catholic schooling. I recall that I wasn't too pleased with this because my teacher that fall, had we continued at Laural Elementary, was reported to be one of the really good ones. From the kindergarten photo earlier, I am missing class pictures from March of 1956 and 1957, so it was one of those two years. (My sister confirms that she was in the first grade, so I would have been in the second grade, 1956-7, that single year of Catholic school.)
The bottom photograph was probably from 1955 or 1956. With a magnifying glass, I was able to tell that the items on the floor were Christmas decorations. Mom is touching a Santa, and a sled appears to be in front of that. One of my fondest memories was perhaps of that night. I had gotten up to use the bathroom after midnight. With my parents door closed, I sneaked a peak through the sliding door from the hallway into the living room. There, under and around the tree, was the biggest collection of presents I had ever seen. I figured Santa must have come down the chimney, seen behind the four of us in the lower picture, and left us a ton of goods.
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