Love in Nature

Jesse and I both love the outdoors and I especially love nature. I swear if you're calm enough you can feel Earth's spirit. I think that's the 0.5% Native American in me manifesting itself. :) People say when you're in love everything is more beautiful; I totally agree! For me that has been especially true with nature. For example, the two trees in the pictures are both at the park that Ethan (the little boy that I watch every week) and I go to together. I've babysat him for about 16 months and we've spent more hours than I wish to recall at that park and yet I had never seen those hearts on them before. But now, all of a sudden, hearts just seem to be everywhere! I can't believe I didn't see them before.

A heart grew where the gardeners cut off a branch on this tree. I know it's totally cheesy, but I love the analogy: love can always grow where pain/sadness once resided.


I poked a small, round stick through this leaf and it came out as a heart!


I was chasing Ethan around this tree when I looked up and saw this half heart with a J <3 M. Immediately, I thought: Jesse's here! He must have done this. This has never been here before. (You have to realize that at this point I thought the proposal was probably coming soon, so all my "tentacles" were out looking for any indicators that it was happening.) So, super excited, Ethan and I started looking for Jesse around the park and calling his name. BUT he wasn't there. (This is when I'm glad I live in L.A. and the sight of a girl and 2 year-old boy yelling for an invisible/not there man is one of the more normal things those people saw that day.) I don't know who did it (my guess is cupid) or when, but I LOVE that it's there. Still.



This one isn't a heart, but I took it on Valentine's Day. Returning from church, Jesse and I pulled into my Nana & Papa's driveway when I looked out my window. The bright & delicate daffodils next to the bold, industrial fire hydrant absolutely took my breath away. Just like Jesse does everyday.