The Berry girls had to wait a long time for a cousin, but my sister found out she was pregnant the same month that she came to help us look for a house in France and it is one of the greatest joys of living here that we have been able to visit with each other far more often than if we had been thousands of miles away in California. Now we are just a car ride and a short ferry sailing apart. All my girls love baby Eva, but Florence has adored her from the first time they met when Eva was just six weeks old. So much younger than everyone else in our family, when Florence is with Eva she gets to be the big sister. Someone to play with, someone to look out for and someone to boss around. Now that Eva is walking they had more fun together than ever before. If Florence was in charge here we would be getting in the car every day to go and play with 'Baby', never mind the five hour journey there!
A photograph with all five cousins together in it still doesn't exist despite our best efforts, but one sunny afternoon during our week in Jersey I did manage a spontaneous portrait session with Florence and Eva. They both know what to do in front of a camera and Eva's daddy brought out the smiles from both girls (although I think Eva's cheeky grin steals the show!). These are the sweet results of seizing that moment. It wasn't planned, it wasn't styled, but Eva is even wearing a hand me down from Florence that was one of my favourite outfits for her and the first thing I bought when we moved to France two years ago!
It is Mother's Day in France this Sunday so this post is for my sister Pip and the girls' grandmothers, Nana, Grandma and Nanny my most faithful readers!
