Muenich Sisters in LA

Steph and I spent the first weekend in June in Los Angeles. We started the trip off with some serious anxiety when Southwest Airlines called my house at 6:30 a.m. They cancelled my flight! On the phone with Steph in San Fran, we decided the Muenich sister Amazing Race to LA was on.

I rushed to the airport to fly standby and caught an earlier flight. I beat Steph to LA by 20 mins! At one point, Steph thought, "the heck with LA, meet me in Vegas!"

Once we arrived, it was good times picking out our rental car - the PT.


Then it was off to Speidi's favorite restaurant - Don Antonio's or Don Romero's, whichever you prefer.


After shopping on Montana, we checked out our hotel, recommended by the Protos. Hotel La Petit, a great hotel with a fantastic bar (Butterfly Bar) and rooftop pool. Both of which we logged serious time at.





We laughed with the Protos,


jammed at the Cat Club and Viper Room,


imbibed flaming margaritas (plural),


ran into cousin Scooter on the streets of LA,


and saw random things.


After margaritas, we went to buy lottery tickets. We were certain luck was on our side.

The weekend trip to LA was more than a success. No, we didn't win the lottery, but we had a blast. An annual visit is a must.

Summer is Here

With the sun in full effect, the Lihn pool is open for business. We took Emmy in the pool for the first time. She splashed around and swam with daddy's help.



When the weather gave a bit, we attended Starry Safari at the zoo. We rode the safari train.


Fed the ducks.


And rested when the sun went down.


Emerson likes when her friend Sedona comes over to play. They enjoy tea parties and opening new toys. But Emmy never tires of tea parties.


One evening, after Emmy was asleep, Caleb and I had dinner on the patio. The sunset was amazing. The picture doesn't do it much justice, but you get the idea.


And, of course, more swimming...





Emmy may turn into a mermaid by the end of summer.

Tutu Party!

Admittedly, we went overboard. We couldn't help ourselves. She's just too darn cute and you only turn 1 once. From her tutu dress to the cake, we splurged.


We decorated with chandeliers, flowers and tulle and sprinkled the party scene with photos of Emmy. All of Emmy's friends and family showed up! Some of which we hadn't seen in awhile.




Everyone enjoyed a puppet show with Desi (aka Grandpa) and Lucy (aka Grandma.)


After the puppets, cake was served. It hurt me a little to cut into that beautiful masterpiece! When Caleb and Paul went to pick up the cake from the bakery, people were impressed. One woman yelled, "Look, that cake is wearing a tutu!" and another patron busted out her blackberry for a photo. I'm glad it turned out so well!


The kids enjoyed the playroom which ultimately survived the rampage.




Guests wore fabulous tutus...


And even the boys wanted to join in on the fun. (Who could blame them?!)


Afterwards, Emmy opened all of her presents. I didn't think she'd enjoy it too much, since she's only 1, but she loved it. When all the presents were opened, she wanted more!


Aunt Steph and Uncl Paul helped Emmy break in her new tea set.


Then, it was time to let Emmy loose on her "smash" cake. Even though she started off slow, she eventually managed to cover herself in pink frosting.





Overall, Emerson's First Birthday was a success. God only knows what we'll come up with next year!