Ryan planned a short trip to celebrate our anniversary...but it was a surprise! All I knew was that we would be driving and that our destination would be 3-4 hours away. One might think that really narrows the field, but a four hour radius around Sutter really does provide numerous possibilities.
Branson, Galena, Southern Illinois, Kansas City, St. Louis...these had all crossed my mind. But after heading north and meandering through rural roads, these slowly got crossed off my mental list of possibilities.
Eventually, we hung a left at a sign for "Dahinda".
Again...more rural roads...then we came to Dahinda...Da WHAT?!? Dahinda.
We drove through THE Dahinda (which left something to be desired) and right up to a quaint farmstead tucked back into the base of a few small hills.
*Still perplexed*
We're at someone else's house. Hmm...???
Ryan pulled up to the sweet red barn (below)..."We're here!"
Long and short of it...The Barn was built by the owners as a bunk house. It is a "peg barn", meaning its frame was built without the use of nails - only wooden pegs. It was later converted into a Bed & Breakfast.
Here's a glimpse into the "horse stall kitchen" complete with an ice box and working vintage gas stove.
The upstairs loft had sleeping for at least 9.
After getting our bearings in "The Barn", we enjoyed some time in neighboring towns - we went line dancing (Ryan is the boot-scootin' master) and to a hockey game. Ryan and I decided that 97% of hockey players have some sort of anger issue.
All in all, the entire trip was refreshing. It gave us an opportunity to reflect on the past year - all the Lord has done in our lives - we have so much for which we are grateful. Our time at the Barn also provided time to pray and think about the coming year.
Da Barn in Dahinda will always have a special place in da hearts of da Woods.
Ryan and I have come upon and passed a milestone in our relationship - our first anniversary. 1.21.13 marked the beginning of Year Two for us. We watched our wedding video, reliving our nuptials, and basked in the glow of our love. It was lovely.
Remembering the 1st Anniversary tradition, my sister asked me if we ate our cake top. I told her, "You can't have your cake and eat it, too."
Perplexed, she didn't say much.
Then I clarified - We had already eaten the cake.
Yes, that's right. These two last-borns decided to go ahead and enjoy the cake last year when it was fresh rather than wait for its flavor to be enhanced by freezer burn and time.
So, about a week later, a church event gave us a good excuse to make some cookies Ryan and I would both enjoy.
Enter the easiest peanut butter cookies...ever.
All you need is 1 yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup peanut butter, and 2 eggs.
Mix all together. I rolled them into balls, flattened them slightly, put them on a cookie sheet, refrigerated them until they were firm, and baked them at 350 for 12 minutes.
We happened to have a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup hearts. :)
So, why not try putting them together???
So if you're looking for a good substitution for your first anniversary when you've already eaten your cake...or just in the market for an easy cookie...you can give it a try. :)
