What to write for the Christmas letter?

This is the third year that my sister Jodi is collecting written work to include in the "Burris Family Memories" binder.  She asks that each kid sends in a piece and then we write a family letter.  My time is running out and I need to write the letter.  I'm just not sure what to write.

This has been a difficult year.  I've been having a longish angry (bitter, offended) phase about the Mormon church.  I am bitter about decisions I made during a time that I was basically brainwashed (strong word, no?).  There are things that cannot be changed now and I have to live with them.  They are not bad things, they are just limiting things.  I cannot do some of the things I'd like to do and I'm having trouble getting to acceptance on these things.  Some days I'm fine.  Joseph has been really supportive of the new yard/house projects I'm doing and that's a big help.  Other days, I'm just so mad.  Today, despite its being the day before a great day of THANKS, is one of those days.

It's also been a really busy year.  The kids are getting older and while some things are definitely easier than when they were very little, I really feel like I'm running around like crazy.  I'm so happy for all of the amazing things they've all been able to accomplish.  I do feel like I'm pulled from item to item, thing to thing, trip to trip, etc. etc.  I think that life will probably be this way for a while now.  I try to have some quiet times to make up for all of the busy.  I love nights when there isn't anything on the schedule and we can all just be home!

I think that the busy kept me from totally enjoying my camping and hiking.  Also, when we were in the U.P., which is usually a time of bliss for me, I got pretty sick.  I still enjoyed having Anne and Pam with us SO much.  I did not, however,  completely gel with nature the way I like to, the way that recharges my batteries for the winter.

Anyway, back to the letter.  I don't want to write a negatively charged letter considering the things in my paragraphs above.  I don't want to write a "brag" letter, even though I'm very proud of all of my kids and my husband.  I don't want to write a letter that just makes a list of the things we did this year.  I just don't know what kind of letter to write and to make it meaningful for family members to read or for myself to read in the years to come.

Maybe having written all of this down, I will be inspired by some good idea.  Well, here's to hoping, and to blueberry pie, and apple pie, and pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cheesecake...