The Picture of Happiness – The Jersey Shore

We’re into June, but the Pictures of Happiness keep coming!

Today’s guest is Dr. Jen Harned Adams, she says:

Ocean City, NJ is my happy place! Although I moved away from the east coast almost 20 years ago, “the shore” has always had a special place in my heart and I have many happy memories of spending part of my summers there as a child. Now that I am a mom, we travel as a family back to OCNJ each summer, creating new memories every year.

JA

Jen is a clinical psychologist specializing in women's health, who works in private practice and consults for Presbyterian/ St Luke's Hospital in Denver, CO. She loves spending time with her kiddos and husband, and one wild yellow lab. Always interested in learning something new, she's decided to learn to play tennis this summer!

Jen is a clinical psychologist specializing in women’s health, who works in private practice and consults for Presbyterian/ St Luke’s Hospital in Denver, CO. She loves spending time with her kiddos and husband, and one wild yellow lab. Always interested in learning something new, she’s decided to learn to play tennis this summer!

The Picture of Happiness – Jogging

It’s the Picture of Happiness Month!

Today’s guest is accountant Thuy Le, she says:

An early morning jog outdoors makes me happy!!…At home in beautiful Colorado, and especially in a new place while on vacation!  I get to breathe in the fresh air, look up and enjoy all the natural beauty around me, and I think to myself, how lucky I am to be here and in this moment!  This picture was taken during a jog in Kona, Hawaii. 

TL

I'm a mom of two: Son 14, daughter, 10.  I am an accountant, working full-time from home, for an insurance premium audit company in Connecticut.  I enjoy spending time with my family, jogging, baking/cooking, shopping, and traveling.

I’m a mom of two: Son 14, daughter, 10. I am an accountant, working
full-time from home, for an insurance premium audit company in
Connecticut. I enjoy spending time with my family, jogging,
baking/cooking, shopping, and traveling.

The Picture of Happiness – Gardening

It’s The Picture of Happiness Month!

Today’s guest is Lanae Davis, she says:

Spring time gardening makes me happy!  We love to get our vegetable garden started early indoors, water it and watch the seedlings sprout up.  And when spring arrives, we transplant these seedlings outside to the garden! 

Warm weather + seedlings = happiness for Lanae Davis

Warm weather + seedlings = happiness for Lanae Davis

Lanae Davis M.P.A., is a Research Associate at the Center for Policy Research in Denver, Colorado.  Since 1997, Ms. Davis has worked with numerous State and local government agencies to implement, execute and evaluate innovative strategies to improve the lives of low-income families in Colorado and across the nation.  Ms. Davis has co-authored articles on her research related to employment, re-entry and access and visitation programs that serve low income  parents in Family Court Review, Corrections Today and Child Support Report.  Lanae is a wife and mother to her two beautiful children, Meadow and Kash and lives in Broomfield.  In her free time she loves to enjoy the beautiful Colorado mountains with her family by hiking, skiing and is an avid runner and triathlete.

Lanae Davis M.P.A., is a Research Associate at the Center for Policy Research in Denver, Colorado. Since 1997, Ms. Davis has worked with numerous state and local government agencies to implement, execute and evaluate innovative strategies to improve the lives of low-income families in Colorado and across the nation. Ms. Davis has co-authored articles on her research related to employment, re-entry and access and visitation programs that serve low income parents in Family Court Review, Corrections Today and Child Support Report. Lanae is a wife and mother to her two beautiful children, Meadow and Kash and lives in Broomfield. In her free time she loves to enjoy the beautiful Colorado mountains with her family by hiking, skiing and is an avid runner and triathlete.

The Picture of Happiness – Pieces of Heaven

It’s The Picture of Happiness Month!

Today’s guest is Mandy Baron, she says:

There are lots of things that make me happy, but seeing rays through the clouds is one of my favorites!  It feels like a little piece of heaven is shining down for me.  Sometimes in my crazy chaotic life it is a great reminder to slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the beauty all around.   

Sunbeams + reminders to slow down = happiness for Mandy Baron

Sunbeams + reminders to slow down = happiness for Mandy Baron

Mandy Baron is a dental hygienist, wife and mom of three young boys.  She and her family are currently living in Germany.

Mandy Baron is a dental hygienist, wife and mom of three young boys. She and her family are currently living in Germany.

The Picture of Happiness – Fresh Air and Hard Work

It’s The Picture of Happiness Month!

Today’s guest is Pam Mellskog, she says:

Working with my Dad on the farm in Galena, Ill., where I grew up makes me happy because it gives me a practical way to thank him and my Mom for all the ways they have loved and helped me over the years.

I shot this photo on April 23, 2006, during my first visit back home to the Midwest from Colorado after becoming a new parent that February with the birth of my son, Carl.

I took off my gloves and took a break from repairing a barbed wire fence in the field with Dad that afternoon to shoot this photo and others — reminders of the countless afternoons we have spent working together in the fresh air since I was a kid.

Fresh air + childhood memories + giving parents = happiness for Pam Mellskog

Fresh air + childhood memories + giving parents = happiness for Pam Mellskog

Pam Mellskog has reported for Longmont’s newspaper, the Times-Call, since 2001. In 2008, she ventured into writing in the first person. She posts her “Mommy Musings” parenting blog on the newspaper’s website at http://mellskog.pmpblogs.com/. Between the lines, readers may sense how the bedlam her three young boys bring to family life simultaneously shreds her nerves and blesses her to the core. For this reason, she likens childrearing to breadmaking. However tedious the kneading, however long the rise time, nothing satisfies her yen for wholesome living more than smelling bread baking, buttering it hot out of the oven and sharing it around.

Pam Mellskog has reported for Longmont, Colorado’s newspaper, the Times-Call, since 2001. In 2008, she ventured into writing in the first person. She posts her “Mommy Musings” parenting blog on the newspaper’s website.
Between the lines, readers may sense how the bedlam her three young boys bring to family life simultaneously shreds her nerves and blesses her to the core. For this reason, she likens childrearing to breadmaking. However tedious the kneading, however long the rise time, nothing satisfies her yen for wholesome living more than smelling bread baking, buttering it hot out of the oven and sharing it around.

The Picture of Happiness – Photo Therapy

It’s The Picture of Happiness Month!

Today’s guest is Dr. Deborah Serani.  She says:

I love using photos to help give a lift to my mood. In fact, I call the experience “Antidepressant Photo Therapy.” I have hundreds collected that make me happy, but here’s the one I keep as a screensaver.  This beautiful black kitty makes me smile because he totally kicks ordinary curbside dwelling up a notch with his top hat.

Cat + Top Hat + Good Photographer = Happiness for Dr. Deb Serani

Cat + Top Hat + Good Photographer = Happiness for Dr. Deb Serani

 

Dr. Deborah Serani is an award winning author and psychologist. She spends her time writing about depression and trauma and has made finding positivity in life her motto.

Dr. Deborah Serani is an award winning author and psychologist. She spends her time writing about depression and trauma and has made finding positivity in life her motto.