HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!!

Greetings Family and Friends!

2007 has been quite a year for the Lamberson Family. We have so much to be thankful for! This past year was filled with so many great moments, highlighted by the soon to be arrival of another Lamberson! Haley is thrilled to soon be a "big sister". Mindy is scheduled to deliver a precious little girl January 4, only 2 weeks away!

Our year began with the passing of Joe’s brother Hank and the loss of Mindy’s Aunt Marsha. As we look back on the lives of those we lost, we are so blessed with the wonderful memories of their kind and caring spirits. We miss them dearly, and know their spirits will be with us, always.

Mindy continues to be as busy as ever with her in home daycare. Her days are filled with countless joys (and challenges!) as she cares for Haley, Thomas, Georgia, & Kiersten. She is going on 3 years now. There is never a dull moment here on Raintree Drive! Haley is also attending pre-school twice per week and loves learning new songs and spending time with her new friends.

Haley continues to amaze us every day. She loves gymnastics, her My Little Pony collection, and anything to do with being creative. She is always looking for blank paper anywhere in the house so she can color, draw, paint, or cut (she cuts better than Dad, by the way!) She’s also very excited for the arrival of her little sis. Several weeks ago she came running down the stairs as she was trying to get a handle on how long it would be till baby sis arrived. She asked Mindy very passionately "Mom, when is the baby coming?!?" Mindy explained that after Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the baby would soon be here. She thought for a second, looked Mindy right in the eye and shouted "I can’t wait that long!" It was priceless!

Joe has been with Principal Financial Group for 3 years now. He took over managing the national sales desk in March of this year, and really enjoys his job. It helps when you have a great team to work with. He currently manages 16 consultants. He’s traveled quite a bit this year to the various regions the sales desk supports. His trips included Chicago, Orlando, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Boston. He doesn’t anticipate leaving Des Moines too often next year. As much a Joe loves to play golf, his highlight came this summer when he played in his first pro-am with Champions Tour member Vicente Fernandez. Vicente was a pleasure to meet, and their team was a respectable 19 under for the event. They finished in the top 15 groups.

We also took our first "real" family vacation to Yogi Bear Campground in the Wisconsin Dells. We spent a week camping, swimming, eating cotton candy, and hugging Yogi and Cindi Bear about 10 thousand times. The theme for the week was Chistmas in July, so just imagine the sight of several hundred tents and RV’s draped with X-Mas lights in the midst of the summer heat. Haley loved the campground, and spent most of her time sliding down the many slides at the campground waterpark. She cannot wait to go again next year!
We are grateful for the many blessings we shared in 2007.

We are so thankful for all of you in our lives, and we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. We also hope your 2008 is filled with many great memories.

All our Love,
Joe, Mindy, & Haley