It was meant to be a family photo celebrating the first Easter for adorable twin seven-month-old girls Brynn and Avery who live in Cape Breton.
But when talk show host Ellen DeGeneres shared the shot of the giggling girls dressed up in bunny ears and surrounded by colourful plastic eggs, it became an online sensation.
DeGeneres posted the picture to her social media accounts April 13 with the words: 鈥淭his photo is eggsquisite.鈥�
The family still can鈥檛 believe it.
鈥淓llen DeGeneres shared it on her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and they鈥檝e had almost half a million views, likes and shares. It鈥檚 insane,鈥� said mom Tarra Walsh, who lives in Glace Bay.
It took a lot of patience, and some coaching, to get the perfect shot, says Walsh, who took the picture. She captured one of the babies clutching an egg in each hand.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e taking photos of them, you literally have to take like 200 pictures because you get one slouching or one cranky or one crying. So it takes you a good 20 minutes to get a good one. And that one, when she held the eggs up to her chest, it was just hilarious. Loved it. So it was perfect.鈥�
Walsh sent the photo to the comedian a couple of weeks ago after a friend鈥檚 suggestion. She thought nothing more of it until she saw it on DeGeneres鈥� Facebook page. She rushed to tell family and friends.
鈥淚 was weak when she came out of the room and said the babies鈥� picture has made it to Ellen,鈥� said grandmother Annemarie Brown. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榃ow.鈥� I was weak. I couldn鈥檛 believe it.鈥�
The babies are healthy now but they were born five weeks premature and made many trips to a Halifax hospital more than 420 kilometres away. Walsh says the girls bring a lot of joy.
鈥淔or some other people to see them and put a smile on their face too is amazing. It鈥檚 an amazing feeling. And all the comments, everyone saying how adorable they are. And they are. They鈥檙e beautiful.鈥�
The family is hoping DeGeneres shows the picture on her daytime TV show next week but either way, they are happy to read all the comments from around the world.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some comments there that I can鈥檛 even read, they鈥檙e in different languages. But it鈥檚 nice,鈥� said Brown.
It鈥檚 certainly a memorable way to mark a first Easter. The family still can鈥檛 believe the picture caught the famous comedian鈥檚 eye.
鈥淭hey mean so much to us because there鈥檚 two of them and they鈥檙e so beautiful and they鈥檙e pleasant,鈥� said Brown.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if Ellen could see that in that picture or what. I was just so amazed she picked that picture out of probably lots of other pictures that went in.鈥�
