This is great

Service is like peeing your pants.  Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.

"The darkest hour is just before dawn."

It's about time!

I saw my first fireflies of the year tonight!  I squealed with joy :)

Deep Sigh

The world is so beautiful, it's breathtaking sometimes.  It never ceases to amaze me.  Whether it's the sun shining through the leaves or the purest blue sky you think you've ever seen, it's all around us.  The sound of rain- ah I love it.  Or the rich, soft grass.  Words can't really capture the splendor of God's creation or the way it can completely fill my whole soul time and time again.  Happy or sad, whenever I just need a moment, I stroll out to our mailbox and back.  It's just across the street but it gives me enough time to see all that green and remember that some things are constant- everything will come again in it's season.  And it's not just my little corner of the world that's lovely- it's the whole thing!  And all in different ways!  Even in the saddest or dirtiest of places, you can always find a flower managing to push itself through the cracks of the sidewalk.
Olivia :)

Guys, I love quotes!

"We do not see things as they are, but as we are."

Where are your prepositions at?

Where are you going to?  Where is it at?  Where did you get it from?  Can you dangle your prepositions??
Tanner and our friend and I have a crazy inside joke about dangling prepositions.  I'm not totally sure how it originated, besides me and Tanner being grammar Nazis sometimes.  It's true some (like "Where are you at?") are grammatically incorrect because they are unnecessary, but others are perfectly fine, like "Where is he from?" or "What did you step on?" "Which one are you talking about?"  because they are needed for the sentence to make sense.  Thing is, this inside joke has gone so far that even the ones that are perfectly fine are mocked incessantly.  I don't know if we will ever be freed from the grasp of these crazy 49 English words that single-handedly make up one of the 8 parts of speech.
PS- Did you know it was in fact a woman who organized every single word in our language into one of only 8 groups? Cool, huh? :)

Neil: "My favorite fruit fresh is guava, but I've never had guava fresh."

On a more logical and mature note: 

Pain will come regardless; suffering is optional.

"...ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are..."
Mosiah 2:34

Of Course, More from Neil

Today Neil walked into my room while I was reading my scriptures.  He was holding the tiny tube of the toothpaste he got from the dentist.  "Olivia, did you use my tube of silly strawberry toothpaste??"  I told him I hadn't touched it.  "Are you sure??" What kind of question is that, silly?  Of course I was sure.  I think I'd remember if my toothpaste had tasted like strawberry instead of like mint.  "But look," he said, turning it over, "see this tiny dent in the side?? It wasn't there before.  And the box has been messed with!"  I told him the tube probably just came with a little dent in it's side, but that wasn't good enough for him.  "Grant, are you sure it wasn't you??" Grant told him he was sure, but Neil still had to pass the blame...so finally he decided that the only way this could've happened is if Grant did it in his sleep.  Likely conclusion, buddy.  This kid is a piece of work, as my mom says.

Quote

"Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."
-Henry Van Dyke