Dear Family, Listen, I warned you in September’s letter that updates would be sporadic, so I shall stubbornly plead not guilty of all charges, on the grounds that there was an exculpatory clause included in our contract. Even though I’m fairly certain that the word “plead” is not used in breach-of-contract lawsuits. Or “charges,” for…
February and March Sophie Update: A “date”, accepting ambiguity, and Easter
Dear Family, And look at that, it’s April. Some of you may have noticed that I did not publish a letter in February. Whoops. I hope that you can forgive me. I promise nothing all that exciting happened, but several February events and random thoughts will appear in this letter, so never fear. For examples,…
On dining with random animals, complaining about the weather, and dodging the cops in Nicaragua (vol. xxviii, no. 3)
Dear Family, I’m appreciative of you who have inquired and expressed concern about Crystal’s ailing back. (I’m also appreciative of you who haven’t. If you don’t know what I’m talking about and would like to, feel free to read last month’s letter.) Physical therapy and pain meds are helping, but she’s still in frequent pain…
On uneventfulness, “ridiculopathy,” and a jaunt to Cancun (not by me) (vol. xxviii, no. 2)
Dear Family, Sophie alleges in her most recent letter that our family is “not all that interesting.” She writes: “We do the [Sunday] crossword together every week, we send our daily Wordle attempts (and little else) into the family group chat, and we occasionally like to muse on the exciting potential of last names better…
Sophie January Update: Last names, Russian films, and crockpots
Dear Family, I feel that I need to begin this letter by responding to my dad’s. At the end of his last letter, he mentioned that I started dating a boy named Luke Wo. this month and that he is from Maryland. I wasn’t sure whether I would talk about my dating life beyond jokes…
On the agony of being an Eagles fan, the ecstasy of snow days, and the meaning of Hanukkah (vol. xxviii, no. 1)
Dear Family, I suppose I’m not in a position to claim that Peter Cannon Willis’s missionary farewell address was the finest one ever given. But it was quite possibly the best I’ve ever heard. And I’ve listened to some pretty great ones, including two by daughters of mine that were considerably better than most. (Admittedly,…
Sophie’s December: Finals, a Disney Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Dear Family, The month of December snuck up on me, and then finals week quickly snuck in with it. December is such a mixed basket for college students. There are ample opportunities for free food because the campus and various organizations are in a festive mood and professors are sympathetic and extra supportive because they…
On multiple run-ins with the fire department, an unconventionally magical Christmas, and the underrated virtue of “making a joyful noise unto the Lord” (vol. xxvii, no. 12)
Dear Family, The morning of December 5th began the way most Tuesdays do. Crystal’s alarm went off at 5:00 and she immediately sprung out of bed while I lay there for a few moments with my eyes closed, trying to remember what day it was. We usually arise together on Tuesdays. Crystal dons cycling gear,…
Sophie’s November: Featuring Utah, Washington, and Maryland
November started off strong with a ten and a half hour drive to Pullman, Washington. Midway through October marked two years since I left the Washington Spokane mission to fly to Ukraine, so I figured it was about time that I paid a visit to the place where my mission began. Had I actually visited…
On reindeer apostles, nonstop piano recitals and general, all-around gratitude (vol. xxvii, no. 11)
Dear Family, Full disclosure: I am beginning this letter on Thanksgiving morning. I will not finish it until sometime next week (prior to my self-imposed month-end deadline). The delay will owe in part to some choir-related stuff in the coming week that I will probably want to record for posterity. But I am beginning now…