I can't tell you how awesome this is. My mother passed away 18 months ago, and I've inherited much of her online life. She had a rare disease which she got treatment for but which ultimately led to her death, and through it all we kept a blog about her life. I'm an emotional SOB so I can't stand to read much of it, but at times I do like to go back through her blog and remember her.

Also, I discovered in her possessions a small booklet she kept for part of my childhood along the lines of what you describe. I wish I still had it, I think it's in my dad's house, but your post has made me remember it and I think I'll be looking to find it again.

One alternative, turning to the technology, is that you might consider a blog engine rather than an email post. You can make it private and not share it with the world, but when it comes to archiving the messages, email does not make it easy to print. So maybe a Tumblr account or something like that which would be more conducive to future desires to print it.