Although many of you already know, last month I went to Paris for a week with Debi Lily of A Perfect Event and her two kiddos, Lily & Parker.  What started out as a light-hearted Facebook conversation quickly turned into booking a ticket to visit Debi & her kids and capture them in the most beautiful city on Earth (well, at least top 3 anyway ;)).  We hung out, enjoyed espresso and home-cooked meals by Lily, chef-extraordinaire.. we walked all over Paris every day to see something new, watched movies, rode carnival rides and enjoyed popcorn and slushies.. we put a love lock on the bridge over the Seine River and saw an exhibit of one of my favorite photographers, Helmut Newton.  It was simply perfect.

Anyway, I’ve included a bazillion of my favorites below of my time with these three so you can see for yourself.

And if you like what you see and want a really fun photographer who is willing to ride carnival rides and drink slushies until her brain freezes with your kiddos to come along on your trip.. and so you can be present in all of your memories and not just ‘the photographer,’ shoot me an email and I’d be delighted to capture your family’s most special moments for you 🙂

above: Lily and I on one of the carnival rides (which, by the way, sprayed cotton-candy and peppermint scented mist at you as you whizzed around the track).  She actually had just mentioned how she wished her dad was there to go on some rides with her since he (sorry Mike) “screams like a girl.” I didn’t want to disappoint her so I put on my best squeals hehe  

above: Tired Springers. Happy Springers!

above: Loving Springers. Jumping Springers! 

above: Such a brilliant idea. Debi gives her kids loads of those books where you have to find the objects in the picture (like a Where’s Waldo of bananas, hearts, fish, and all sorts of other random things). 

above: prayers for Grandpa Carl. 

above: the kiddos had a jammie day while Debi and I explored Paris. 

above: Helmut Newton exhibit.. in Paris? Heavenly. 

above: Lily, chef-extraordinaire, kept me fully stocked on sparkling water with the Soda Stream machine and even made home-cooked meals for us each night! 

above: After reading like 5 hours straight of Fifty Shades Darker, I realized it was the 11pm Eiffel Tower sparkle time. I stood on a chair and peeked out the sun roof and for three minutes there she sparkled in the distance. 

above: Love was just everywhere in Paris. Loved the young couples having hot and heavy make out sessions with cups of wine and baguettes as the sun set over the Seine River. 

above: And so this begins the start of my 4+ hour photo extravaganza with Debi and her kids all over Paris on my birthday.  Best birthday ever! 

above: Brain freeze!

 above: one last photo of me and Lily and Parker on my birthday after photos and at the carnival. Loooong long day (even “Boey” the boa constructor was pretty worn out).