United Way Poverty Simulation

I have the honor of participating in the United Way of Champaign County’s Emerging Community Leaders program this year. Me and 50 other young professionals were chosen from the area to participate in this program. The program is designed to help promote networking within the community and gain awareness of issues present in our community and how non-profit organizations function. Last night I participated in the first Advancement Seminar of the program- the Poverty Simulation. This was so eye opening!

The simulation is designed to show how families that are poor, or low-income survive with little to no resources available. For the poverty simulation we were assigned into groups of 4 with our fellow classmates. This group was considered our “family”. Each person was assigned a family role (i.e.- Father, mother, child). The simulation lasted 1 hour and each 15 minute segment of the hour was considered a week. You are given a packet at the beginning of the simulation with the background information about your family. Based on this information is how you will be living in your fictional family.

Conveniently, I was assigned to the farm family. My family was a family in which the father farmed to make a living and had no other supporting income. The mother did not work. We suffered a draught and lost all of our crops on 500 acres and the government subsidies we were receiving ran out. All we had to our name was $250 in a bank account and a corn picker and our home, both of which we still owed money on. We had to find a way to pay all of our bills for the month, buy food and pay for transportation for the month. Needless to say, things were very tight!

Prior to the poverty simulation, I had a little bit of an idea of what to expect. What I expected was no match  to what I actually experienced! Even though this was a simulation, it was still a stressful experience. We were making real-world decisions that people less fortunate have to face. Such as, pawning mom’s engagement ring to pay bills or deciding whether your parents will use the money to go find jobs, or you will use the money to go to high school. Also, not eating for a month because you can’t afford to pay bills and buy food.

These decisions became very real, very fast. I felt a special connection to this particular situation since it was a farm family. A situation like this could very easily happen to my own family. One bad year of farming, or a draught and we could potentially be in this same situation. This is one of the most important lesson’s I learned- it only takes one bad circumstance to throw everything off. Everyone is just one step away from being low-income or poor. Even though I have been very fortunate and have not ever experience poverty in my life, I can definitely appreciate those that do have to face this on a daily basis.

 Anyone that is looking to do something meaningful within the community and learn more about what goes on in Champaign County should definitely look into the United Way Emerging Community Leaders program for 2013!

Lyle's new insulin pump

As promised in my posting before, I said I would discuss Lyle's new insulin pump he's been using. I wanted to consult the "expert", aka Lyle on the pump before I put I posted anything on the blog.

  The pump is called the Omnipod. It's a little white pod about the size of half of a deck of cards. It's completely wireless and he sticks the device to himself with adhesive that's on the back of the pod. The pod works wirelessly and it has another device that looks almost like a cell phone that he uses to check his blood sugar, give himself insulin and check carb counts for food.

Omnipod



Personal Data Manager



The Omnipod is something neither me or Lyle ever imagined to help him manage his diabetes. It's so small, convenient and easy to use that I really think it will be something he's able to use for a long time. When I first met Lyle he was so against using insulin pumps to manage his diabetes. The main reason was because they didn't fit into his lifestyle. Most pumps have tubing that runs on the outside of the body. All of the tubing for this pumps is internal and he doesn't have to worry about pulling it out or breaking it. 

He's been using this pump for around a month and even though things aren't completely figured out with it, we still have a pretty good grasp as to how to use it. So far, he's really liking it and we've gotten good reports from his doctor that it's working well too. It's nice for him because he always has the pump connected to himself and he doesn't have to take insulin pens and needles into restaurants or family gatherings to give himself a shot after eating. Also, the pump gives him a small amount of insulin all day long, so this is supposed to help his sugar levels be more stable.

As with anything, this pump is going to take a lot of time and patience but I'm so proud of Lyle for trying something new and giving it a chance. It's a big lifestyle change for him because he's changing the way he's done things for the last 18 years! It's also nice that he's having to "relearn" some things because it gives me a chance to learn more about his diabetes too.

For anyone who's a diabetic and insulin dependent I would highly recommend the Omnipod. It's working well for Lyle and he really finds it easy to use.

Lyle: The strongest person I have ever met

Some of you may already know this, and some of you may not, but Lyle is a Type 1 diabetic. He manages his diabetes very well, so well that most people don't even know he has it. Lyle was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 5 and since being diagnosed he has seen so many changes/ improvements to his treatment. Lyle does a remarkable job managing his diabetes. We get very good reports from his doctors and nurses that he his healthy. Nothing to worry about right now! I wanted to take the time to post this because I feel like everyone should know what he goes through on a daily basis with this disease. Most of our family and friends know that he's a diabetic, but I don't think they fully understand what all goes into his disease.

For any of you that are not familiar with what type 1 diabetes is I will give you a short summary. Type 1 diabetes is a disease that causes a person to have high levels of sugar (glucose) in their blood because their pancreas, the organ that helps regulate blood sugar, does produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to help move blood sugar (glucose) into cells, which it is stored and later used to help produce energy for the body to function. One of the most frustrating aspects of type 1 diabetes is that they don't know what causes it- so there is no cure for it. There is ongoing research to help determine a cause for diabetes so we can (hopefully) one day find a cure for it. We are praying there is a cure for this disease sometime in Lyle's lifetime, but only time will tell.

Diabetes is a very stressful, straining and expensive disease to have. It requires Lyle's monitoring on a daily, and on most days, hourly basis. Since his body cannot regulate itself he has to test his blood sugar levels with a blood tester. It gives him a reading and there is a range of where his blood sugar should be at. If he is having a "low", where is blood sugar is lower than it should be, he has to eat something to bring up his levels- he typically uses fruit snacks to do this. If he is having a "high", where his blood sugar is higher than it should be, he has to give himself insulin to correct the sugar and bring it back down to where it needs to be. He also has to give himself insulin whenever he eats a meal. To do this he calculates the number of carbohydrates in a particular meal and uses a math equation to figure out the amount of insulin he will need to keep his blood sugar regulated.

Lyle is one of the most patient, meticulous people I know and I think it is because of his diabetes. He works hard everyday and fights for health. It's something that is taken for granted by many of us. He can't just eat something without thinking about it or spontaneously leave without planning to take all of his medicine with him. Luckily, diabetes doesn't really stop Lyle from doing anything because he manages it so well but there are some things he has to do differently than the rest.

Currently, Lyle's going through a lot because he's switched the way he's doing things with his diabetes. I will be posting more updates as we go along through this new exciting (scary) journey!

Stay tuned...

The weight didn’t arrive from the Fat Fairy last night, and the Skinny Fairy isn’t coming tonight, either! (Long Post)

I've been working on losing weight my entire life. For as long as I can remember, I've always been the "chubby" girl. I've tried lots of extreme diets from eating only shakes and vegetables to eating only carbs. The only thing that seems to work and make sense is portion control. The only point in my life where I was remotely skinny was during my junior and senior year of high school. I was only skinny because everyday I ate only an orange for lunch... nothing else and I worked out like a mad women.

Towards the end of my senior year, my great grandmother passed away and I felt like my entire world collapsed. I did not know what do to without her- this woman was the rock and light of our family. She is, and forever will be, one of the most beautiful, amazing people I have ever had the privilege of loving. It was truly a loss that shook all of us to the core. She's been gone over 7 years now and it just now seems like I'm able to move on from crying every time I hear the name Anna, taste a peanut M&M or experience a memory without her there. My wedding was the first time I've realized how far I have come without her here. It has become evident that life does go on. You are allowed to experience happiness and not feel guilty because she's not there with you- because she is, just in a different way.

Along with letting go of my Grandma Emkes, I also let go of my "healthy" eating habits during this time. Gone were the days of my orange eating and 2 hours of cycling class. My life took a downward spiral to unhealthy practices. I started eating whatever and however much I wanted, I stopped exercising and started drinking much more. I believe I have tried to cover up sadness with food but when I eat like this it makes me look and feel terrible, which leads to more sadness.

It's really strange that I've been so sad the past couple of years because I've had so much good happen in my life. In the past 7 years I have done so many things I never believed I could accomplish. I have: got accepted to college & graduated, started pursing my master's degree, met, fell in love with and married the man of my dreams, moved into the home I've always wanted, have 2 of the greatest dogs ever and gained an entire new family. I am finally starting to realize what happiness is and how grateful I should be in life. With the new happiness I am discovering, I also have a desire to get back on the weight-loss bandwagon and this time I want to be on the ride of a lifetime!

In October 2011 I started back to Weight Watchers. Since October I have lost around 7lbs, a far cry away from where I want to be, but it's baby steps. Also since starting WW's I had my bridal shower, bachelorette party, Halloween, Thanksgiving, my wedding, Christmas and New Years. So, in Weight Watchers they say there is the Bermuda Triangle of holidays for weight loss: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas that members typically just "disappear" during this time. Well, for me I had a freakin' natural disaster lol! But, I never quit and I'm not going to quit.

Today marks a new day. With the birth of our second nephew yesterday, Benjamin Steven Waters it is becoming very clear that life will never slow down for us. Before I know it, Lyle and I will be ready to start our family and I need to be in the best health of my life in order to be the mother I want to be. Watching our nephews be born and grow up has been one of the greatest parts of our life. Lucas has been so much fun and we can only imagine how fun it will be with 2! So here and now I'm committing to getting healthier in 2012. My life will no longer be ruled by a cupcake or cookie- it will be ruled by me and what I want to get out of life.

Wedding Photos :):)

Here is the link for our wedding photos:

http://www.pictage.com/1197022

You are able to purchase photos from this link if you're interested.

I cannot say enough about how fantastic and professional Amanda Overmyer Photography was to us! She is so talented and easy to work with. For anyone who needs photos taken please check her out at her website:

http://www.aophotos.net/

Enjoy :)

Lazy blogger...

So there, I've admitted it. I've turned into quite the lazy blogger, but I do have some valid excuses. 2012 is off to a running start in the Waters household and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, unfortunately. Right now I'm sitting here, looking back and trying to figure out where the heck January has gone. But, I guess, time never slows down and we just have to go with it. So, here's what has been going on in our lives since 2012 hit:

-We bought *NEW* couches! They're so shiny, perfect and beautiful- We love them! They are brown, leather couches from LayZBoy. They're very practical and will last us a long time. It's probably the first big purchase we've made as a married couple and it was kind of stressful. Lyle and I are both very opinionated people and it was a challenge to come to a joint decision, but we did, and it was the right one.

-Next, I started back to grad school January 18th. I'm back in the grind with my online program at Gonzaga University. I am scheduled to graduate in May 2013, so only 1 more year to go! Mark my words- when I finish this time I AM DONE. No more school because it's exhausting. I'm enjoying my classes but finding it hard to focus because I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

-We've been doing more small renovations on the house. We hired a local painting business by the name of A to Z Painting to paint the upstairs of our house. The upstairs has very high ceilings and there was no way we were going to be able to do it, so we hired it done. A to Z was awesome!!! Carol, the owner, came out, gave us an estimate and they were there painting within the next couple of days. She even had suggestions for paint colors that would work and the walls turned out perfect!

-Also, we had Lyle's uncle Doug replace our back stairs for us because the previous stairs were over 150+ years old. They were so old the nails they removed out of the stairs were square shaped! The stairs were beginning to crack and worried us so we got them replaced. He used solid oak for our new stairs and they look (and smell) awesome!

I think we're finally done for a while with projects around the house. Our patience and pocketbook is wearing thin! The first couple of months of marriage has definitely been interesting and eventful. I can't wait to see what the rest of our lives has to hold.

Thanks for reading! I promise to be a better blogger in 2012 :)

Cayla

Happy 23rd Birthday Lyle!

On December 16th we went out to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate Lyle's 23rd Birthday. My sister was working that night and she was our waitress. For anyone who has never been to Texas Roadhouse for a birthday, they really like to embarass you on your special day. Since my sister was our waitress she spared no expense for her brother-in-law! The waitress brings a saddle up to the table and makes the birthday boy (or girl) get on the saddle. They proceed to yell (in the loudest voice possible): AAAAAATTENTION TEXAS ROADHOUSE GUESTS, WE HAVE LYLE CELEBRATING HIS 23RD BIRTHDAY WITH US TONIGHT. PLEASE HELP US GIVE HIM A BIG YEEEEEHHHHHAAAAWWWW!!!!! Then the restaurant yells YYEEEHHHAAAWWW! For everyone who knows my sister, this was a very loud yell. Needless to say, she got everyone's attention! Here's a picture of Lyle's embarrased reaction:

Before we left he asked where we were going to eat. When I told him Texas Roadhouse he instantly told me he wasn't getting on the saddle. He didn't even want to sit in my sister's section because he knew what the outcome would be! The only thing that got him to go was the fact that he could custom order a steak. He got a 20 oz ribeye!  Looks like you didn't get all of your birthday wishes Lyle, but you provided entertainment to the rest of us :)

Happy 23rd birthday to my wonderful husband and best friend :)