One thing I adore most about children is their innate ability to see the beauty in the world around them.  And our adventures in the desert space near our apartment remind me of that admirable quality every time we go on one.

While I often suggest going on a ‘desert adventure’ as a way to get out of the house {and stay sane} when we’re vehicle-less, Gracen is always thrilled with the suggestion and often shouts, ‘Yay!  We’re going on a treasure hunt!’ before running off to retrieve a bag to house her findings.  She returns, pops her shoes on her feet and cheers, ‘Let’s go!’ anxious to see what sort of beautiful things she might find today.

Truthfully, in the stereotypical sense, our neighbourhood is far from beautiful.  It’s filled with piles of trash, mounds of sand are scattered throughout, dumped building supplies are plentiful, and plastic bags float around at your feet.  But Gracen?  She sees mountains to climb, things to investigate, and treasures waiting to be discovered.  If only we could all be so optimistic.

Well I’m up for trying.  Here are the bits of beauty we discovered in Mahboula today…

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