Seventh Post-It Note Day

Zak and I met after my friend and I left a post-it note on his car as a joke. We didn't leave our numbers, just our first names. We met the following week in passing. One year later, we married. We still celebrate the event that started it all with our very own "Post-It" Note Day.

33 Years

Many years ago, Dad had a friend, "Cheetah," who moved to the next town over and became friends with Mom. In adulthood, Mom would arrange a date for Cheetah when he would find a double date for her. After a family get-together in 1981, Cheetah was bored and moved up a planned date for that Thanksgiving Day. Dale met Alice.

Dale proposed in February, and they were married in August. After nine moves in two states, five kids and a quasi-daughter, one miscarriage, numerous jobs and church callings, hundreds of campouts, a masters degree, one self-built observatory, four deceased parents, one grandkid with another on the way, and countless removed rocks, chore charts, and weeds pulled, Alice and Dale celebrate 33 years of marriage.

I've seen Dad kneeling to pray at the foot of the bed, Mom staying up to do the dishes, the two of them at the table going over taxes and budgets, Mom and then Dad standing at the church podium to give talks, our family sitting together to read scriptures three verses at a time, flowers on the countertop to celebrate anniversaries, and the infamous "gunny bag" held by one and enforced by the other to take away toys we kids neglected to put away after numerous warnings. We are a family of shouters, clenched teeth, door slammers, and incidents remembered, but my parents work together. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your example of a strong, everlasting marriage, improving every year.

 

Post-It Note Day

I left a note on his car. That's how we met. With the license plate "Beefy," it was hard for me and my new orchestra friend, Alina, to not notice it.

Beefy

We should be friends.

That is all.

Nicole & Alina

The next week on my way to rehearsal, I saw this mystery Beefy man pull into the parking lot. I caught up to him as I carried my violin and he carried art supplies. I struck up a conversation with this handsome, strong man. He opened the door for me when we reached the building. We went our separate ways.

Except Mom worked with this mystery Beefy man. I told her about the note and the "meet-cute," and she went up to Zak at work, asked about his make, model, and license plate. My secret note identity had been revealed. Mom loves to be a matchmaker, and had actually tried to set us up on a date months before, but Zak had been busy, and it was forgotten.

We became facebook friends, he came to some parties my friends and I held, and he asked me on our first date.

Post-It Note Day 3

Post-It Note Day 2

I recorded in my journal the date I left the note, and we ended up getting married one year and one day after "Post-It Note" Day. I love being married to my best friend, and am so glad I'd gotten into the habit on my mission of carrying post-it notes around to leave little messages. 

Zak set our personal holiday in stone when, the night before we married, he made a post-it note mural on my garage, spelling "I 'heart' Nicole." Each note had a memory, phrase, heart, or message. Happy Post-It Note Day, Husband. Happy Anniversary.

A Day in Heaven

For our first anniversary, Zak and I returned to the place where we married, the Logan LDS Temple.  As part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that everyone who didn't get a chance to hear about the gospel and be baptized while on the earth will have the opportunity after they die.  Members of the Church get to act as proxies for the people, and be baptized in their place.  We also believe in eternal marriage, with which a couple and family can be sealed together for time and all eternity, not just "till death do you part."  I've heard about people renewing their vows.  At the Temple, we can hear the commandments and promises given, as we act as proxy for couples and their children.  It really was so peaceful, and sweetly romantic, kneeling across the altar from Zak.  I love him, and we are blessed.  One of the women in the Temple with us had done family history, and found members of her family who lived in Austria-Hungary generations ago.  They got the information behind the iron curtain.  After we finished, she mentioned that her congregation had time set aside that day to attend the Temple, which they called "A Day in Heaven."  I can't think of a better place to be.