SEATTLE - Every year, a few weeks before Christmas, the Wilson family commences their annual ritual of waiting.
There are four grown siblings – three brothers and a sister – their spouses, and their mother.
They meet in line at Nordstrom in downtown Seattle, to get their photo taken with Santa behind the department store window.
It's a tradition that began in 1955, when the window was part of Frederick and Nelson.
"Oh my God, we were so excited when we got to go see Santa and stand in line," Steve Wilson said. "They'd pull us out of school!"
The first photo is of the oldest child, Scott. A year later, he was soon joined by Steve, then Mike, and finally, Wendy.
The most challenging photo was taken in 1961.
"My mom had knit these really heavy sweaters, God bless her, but they're wool, and we have these coats over them, and we were hot, and Wendy's crying," Steve said. "That's probably the worst."
When the Wilson kids finally reached an age many would deem "too old for Santa," they elected to not care.
"We never said, 'are we really doing this again?' We were just like, let's go, let's go!" Steve said.
In 1978, Scott was out of state and couldn't make it. But that would be the only year the Wilsons spent apart.
"We would plan it as a family, the four of us," Steve said. "Time flies and you don't even realize it. Then came the spouses."
Their husband and wives joined the group photos. And in 1990, so did their parents.
"They actually snuck up there and had their picture taken and they gave us those pictures, and so I thought, 'why can't they be in the picture?' So then they were," Steve said.
40 years passed. Then 50.
Every holiday was recorded by a photo with Santa.
2012 marked the Wilson's 58th photo with Santa. It was also their father's last. Woody Wilson passed away a month later, after celebrating his 94th birthday.
The following Christmas, when the rest of the family gathered for the photo, Steve was wearing one of his vintage jackets.
"So in that way, he's in the picture," Steve said.
On Dec. 6, 2014, the family gathered for their 60th photo with Santa.
"It's the history of our family," Steve said. "It just happens to be with Santa Claus."
