FASFA

Before going back to college in my 30’s, I had never seen the acronym FASFA. If asked, I’d probably have guessed it was another first-time home buyer program offered by the government. FASFA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid quickly became a familiar sight during my educational pursuit.

Your application can be completed using The FASFA website which is the preferred method. The website is a one stop shop for anyone attending college who is looking to use Federal Student Aid. The website contains several tools to help in the application process such as an IRS Data Retrieval Tool that will allow a quick transfer of tax return data to your FAFSA. A school code search is also available to help you find the code for the school you are attending. For those that do not want to use the website there is an application you can complete in paper form. This type of application usually takes a few weeks longer to process and does not contain the immediate “error checking” available on the web application.

The FAFSA takes into account income listed on your (or your parents’) tax returns and the cost of attending your school to determine the amount of money you or your family will be expected to contribute towards college. You will be asked for information about the student, the student’s dependency status, the student’s parents, the student’s finances, and the schools that should receive your FAFSA results.

Federal grants and loan awards will automatically be determined by the FASFA. The FAFSA lets you know how much Federal Student Aid you qualify for upon completion of the application. You will be assigned a pin that will allow you to log back into the application to check the status, make changes or updates, and to apply for aid for each year you are in school.

I consider myself somewhat of an expert at using the FAFSA as I used this application annually throughout my college years. Each time I was able to log into my FAFSA and got a nice head start on the data I needed to enter for the next year. Every year the process ran smoothly and I was grateful for one less headache that I had to deal with during college. Considering about 14 million applications are processed and around $80 billion in financial aid is distributed, annually, I would say I am not alone in my experience!

FASFA

Before going back to college in my 30’s, I had never seen the acronym FASFA. If asked, I’d probably have guessed it was another first-time home buyer program offered by the government. FASFA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid quickly became a familiar sight during my educational pursuit.

Your application can be completed using The FASFA website which is the preferred method. The website is a one stop shop for anyone attending college who is looking to use Federal Student Aid. The website contains several tools to help in the application process such as an IRS Data Retrieval Tool that will allow a quick transfer of tax return data to your FAFSA. A school code search is also available to help you find the code for the school you are attending. For those that do not want to use the website there is an application you can complete in paper form. This type of application usually takes a few weeks longer to process and does not contain the immediate “error checking” available on the web application.

The FAFSA takes into account income listed on your (or your parents’) tax returns and the cost of attending your school to determine the amount of money you or your family will be expected to contribute towards college. You will be asked for information about the student, the student’s dependency status, the student’s parents, the student’s finances, and the schools that should receive your FAFSA results.

Federal grants and loan awards will automatically be determined by the FASFA. The FAFSA lets you know how much Federal Student Aid you qualify for upon completion of the application. You will be assigned a pin that will allow you to log back into the application to check the status, make changes or updates, and to apply for aid for each year you are in school.

I consider myself somewhat of an expert at using the FAFSA as I used this application annually throughout my college years. Each time I was able to log into my FAFSA and got a nice head start on the data I needed to enter for the next year. Every year the process ran smoothly and I was grateful for one less headache that I had to deal with during college. Considering about 14 million applications are processed and around $80 billion in financial aid is distributed, annually, I would say I am not alone in my experience!

School Picture

I used a cool piece of software to modify Emma's kindergarten picture to look like a painting.

6.4.2011

We took the kids to Lagoon [after taking out a third mortgage] and Emma appeared to have a good time. We discovered Addi takes her rides seriously...doesn't crack much of a smile ever.

10.17.2011

This was "crazy hair" day at Emma's school. I escaped the scrutiny of "Hair Judge Wife" for one morning.

9.6.2011

This was Addi's first day of preschool. Her teacher lives next door...which rocks high on the efficiency scale.

10.30.2011

I hung out with Emma for a while at her school. All kindergarten classes had a "Halloween Parade" that day.

10.30.2011

These looks resemble the girls early in the morning. Actually, these are the looks "By Brittany" for school Halloween.

8.31.2011

Emma & "Major" are buddies.

8.30.2011

Addi gave me a "charity" grin while we were waiting for Emma's soccer practice to end.

8.29.2011

This was Emma's first day of kindergarten.

Cash Machine

Job Status: You gotta be kidding me.

Yet...another attempt...

I will try to do a better job with this...sounds like a broken record. I just need to find my camera adapter.

Let's Try This Again

I'm going to do my best to "habit" myself back into this blog again. My days are always better when I have multiple things to do.

It's Official!

I am now a college graduate.

Is It Possible?

Well...I have completed the last of my classwork at UVU. I am unofficially a college graduate. I'm not believing anything until the "piece of paper" arrives in the mail. I'm sure the time will come when I will appreciate it to a larger extent...maybe when I have a job and contributing to the family. I'm presently just a steady suction of debt.

12.19.2010

The kids tend to forget the appropriate use of various items.

hello again...finally...

I thought it might be nice to show myself. It's been a while. Student-teaching will be completed by December 1st. (Applause)

I will then be jobless. Good times!

Emma and Addi - My Little Princesses

So Mark took like 20 photos and this was the best he got. Do you like Emma's broken crown? Yeah well I wasn't buying another one! Maybe next year I can do costumes in advance and they can be really cute? Don't count on it!

Addi AKA Snow White

This is Addi's favorite costume ever. She wears it at least once every day (well not the makeup). This was prior to going trick-or-treating and she was actually in a good mood at this point and time. That didn't last long.

Addi's Birthday Cake

So I didn't think I would be able to pull this cake off. I will never ask my child what kind of cake she wants again. I expected a princess cake but didn't expect "a princess cake that is Cinderella, in blue with a crown" ug.

Mark's Grades

So once again I thought I would take a little time to brag about my better half. He just got his grades for what is essentially his last semester of class work (student teaches in the fall) and pulled out a 3.75 GPA. Not bad considering he spent a majority of the semester doing homework long after the rest of us had gone to bed and spent his days (while not in class) holding his 2 year old that has developed the inability to go anywhere without someone holding her. Not bad dear!

Emma

Just in case anyone was wondering.... Emma is writing her name now - and writing it EVERYWHERE with EVERYTHING. It is on the driveway in chalk, on every paper she can find with whatever writing instrument she can use (including eyeliner and lipstick) and on my leather couch - (but only "scrached in" as she put it). I can't even make pancakes without making at least a "big E". So needless to say the EMMA on the blog... Emma did that on the computer.

The Beavin/Engar Competition Combination

Sick at Home

It's been an interesting week or so in our house. Addi started off by throwing up and then Emma and Britt followed closely behind. I've been saved from the hurling but I've been experiencing spastic cognitive behavior. It's been near impossible just to sit here and not be thinking/worrying about something. The same goes for trying to sleep. I dream constantly and by the time my alarm clock (Emma and Addi) wakes me, it feels like I haven't slept at all. I am a tad dizzy when walking and my stomach has a lasting "I don't need to vomit but maybe I should force myself."

Other than being sick, I have been feeling worn down the last couple months. Here are a few things I must do so I can be a better father and husband:

1. Get a physical: Britt has been saying this for a while and she's right. There is nothing the doctor will tell me that won't surprise me. I need to drop 20 pounds and decrease my intake of sugar.
2. I need to exercise: That's a no-brainer but it's amazing how powerful the mind is. Your mind can almost seed and plant you into a sedentary lifestyle but it can also kick your butt out of the house if trained. Is it easier not to exercise? The answer was once "yes" across the board. It's not that way anymore. I'm much too young to be tired all the time. This leads into Thing #3.
3. Better time management: I was once pretty good at time management. MY ADHD forced me into it. Now, I've fallen behind but I'll be able to reconcile the situation pretty quickly. Thinking back, life has always been much easier when I had a schedule. It doesn't work for all people but it works for me. Not to worry, I don't intend to inflict schedules on my children (besides bedtime, etc.). Children learn by trial and error.
4. Examine my dreams: Huh? I thought for the longest time that dreams meant nothing and people should just grow up and tough it out. I no longer feel that. My dreams are knocking at my door but I've chosen not to answer them. The dreams primarily consist of being on the sidelines during sports or activites. I'm begging to participate but I'm told to stay put. Some have been a little emotional and that's why I don't view them as crap anymore.

I have more but I need to start something else before my patience level evaporates.

Good day to all.

La La La La

Emma asked about 1,479 times before I caved for sanity reasons.

Start 'em early

Britt has decided that Addi can do a better job with the laundry.

The nose is fine but...

...yeah.

Down for the Count

It's been a while since I've posted a snoozing Emma.

Which child is under the blanket?

Go Figure

I taught two lessons at a charter school last week for a class assignment. Something struck me as a little funny a couple days later. I struggled for so long in classrooms that the thought of ever "teaching" was the equivalent of saying I scored a 30 on my ACT. But I felt very natural in the classroom. I walked around the classroom while explaining the different types of violence (that was the lesson). I didn't stutter a bit and the students were raising their hands at will. I asked a couple students to put their earphones away and they did without rolling the eyes or asking why.

Sports were always natural for me but being in that classroom was pretty darn close. I didn't worry about the time and I let the students share their stories and opinions.

I was taken back while the class was working on a vocabulary crossword puzzle. I was very open with inviting the class to ask for help and a student did. He was having difficulty with the defintions of a few words. I instantly warped back to middle school while walking over to help him. I was ALWAYS needing help in school but I was always afraid to ask. I pulled up a chair and started to explain the differences between the vocabulary words in question. He was really trying but just coming up a little short. He didn't know the definition of "stereotype" and he appeared to be a little embarrassed about it. I quickly mentioned a few examples of a stereotype. He instantly picked out the right meaning and filled in the boxes. He just needed a little explanation and he was on his way. That situation was awesome.

Students should never be embarrassed or ashamed to ask questions. Any teacher who inflicts guilt on a student should be out of the classroom. Go and take the power trip elsewhere.

Yes, I will never be the perfect teacher. I will have my good and bad days but I will never sacrifice a student's will to learn. I have yet to meet anybody who has learned anything without asking questions.

Basement Update

The basement is almost ready for paint. I need to caulk a few more areas and finish framing the windows. I've installed most of the baseboards but my ability to install doors basically sucks. A friend is coming tomorrow to assist me with my freakin' doors.

I love caulk. I've even caulked the corners so I can have a smooth paint line between the wall and the ceiling. Britt thinks I'm crazy but the finished product will look good. That's all that matters.

3.8.2010

...and we wonder why the kids rotate weeks being sick.

3.2.2010

Addi was layering the snow for faster melting time.

Trying to describe this makes it worse.

Breathing Not Important

Emma said she had a bloody nose.

Good To See

Cardinal: Catholics and Latter-day Saints partners in defending religious freedom

February 23rd, 2010 @ 5:20pm
By Carole Mikita

PROVO -- Nearly 12,000 BYU students welcomed one of America's top Catholic leaders to campus Tuesday. Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, delivered the university's weekly forum address.

Cardinal George told the students that the relationship between the two faiths was not always friendly, that Brigham Young and Lawrence Scanlan -- Utah's first Catholic bishop -- would be astonished by today's gathering, but he called Catholics and Latter-day Saints partners in defending religious freedom.

To begin, the audience sang a hymn familiar to both Catholics and Latter-day Saints then recited the Lord's prayer, led by a Catholic professor who teaches at BYU.

"In recent years, Catholics and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have stood more frequently side by side in the public square to defend human life and dignity," he said.

The Cardinal spoke of unity in the fight against poverty and pornography, and standing for the right to life. He talked of the two faiths defending of religious freedom, which he says is not just freedom of worship.

"At stake is whether the religious word will be heard in the public square," he said.

The two faiths are also united against same-sex marriage. What he most regrets, he said, is the overt opposition.

"This happened in Proposition 8 in California ... [to] respond by thuggery, by quasi-fascist tactics [rather] than the common good, our whole society stands in great jeopardy," Cardinal George said. "Mormons and Catholics take pride on our citizenship as Americans and our legacy of service to the nation."

The students gave Cardinal George a standing ovation.

"I thought today was historic, in that sense: everybody coming together," said student Brady Rice.

Student Victoria Fox said, "A lot of times there's this false animosity between Catholics and Mormons, and I just think the Lord's work is too big for just one people."

Cardinal George also mentioned both President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, and mentioned President Monson's kind remarks about the partnership the two faiths share in humanitarian work.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9788813

Drywall Update

Well......I completed the soffits yesterday. Ideally, I would have used longer pieces but shorter pieces had to do since I was working alone. The extra mudding will be hidden with texturing.

Dress-up

Emma can be playing baseball at one moment and then dressing up the next. Addi was struggling to walk in her shoes.

.........yep

Britt did a great job with Emma's Dora cake.

2.13.2010

Emma was now in her "birthday chair" and chomping artery clogging pizza.

2.13.2010

Emma and Ella

2.13.2010

Kangaroo Zoo had a room where you could pelt your enemy with balls shot with air through a tube. Emma had her safety goggles and her shirt absorbed most of her drink a few minutes before.

2.13.2010

Emma had her birthday party at Kangaroo Zoo. If you were trying to AVOID kids, the row of minivans would be your first hint that this is not the place.

Happy Birthday to Emma

Emma is 4 years old today. She is having a big 11:00 AM party tomorrow at some "jump around and fall on your head" place. It should be fun for her and probably some time for me to act a little immature.

The above picture really shows how little kids REALLY look around the house. The faces are covered with chocolate and their hair is tangled beyond repair. I can already hear my wife yelling at me for posting this picture. She thinks I don't dress or bath the kids enough as it is. Oh well, might as well enjoy the moment.

2.10.2010

Emma opened an early birthday present from Grandpa and Grandma Engar. They also bought her a net so she can develop her ultra accurate aim.

The Basement Project

In hopes of making our house less toy cluttered, we have embarked on a basement finishing mission. The home currently is filled with tripping, cursing and sweet remarks of how organized the house is.

The plan is to have a "rec room" (picture above) along with my office. I can then work downstairs and still be close to the kids without cluttering the main floor. We plan to bring our 42" TV downstairs and have a nice spot to watch movies, etc. I will also be able to watch anything from my office computer on the TV as well. I have installed speaker cable in 5 different locations with the hope of having surround sound when extra money becomes available. The kids will have an area for internet access (supervised of course) and internet will be available through the TV. We are making a little play area under the stairs complete with a couple windows. We are leaning towards painting the play area with chalkboard paint and allow the kids to experience the facination of wall coloring without the guilt.

After these two areas are complete, we will then finish the storage room, bedroom and bathroom. I am looking forward to completing this project. It will be important for me to have an office once I am teaching and important for Britt to have the main floors clean at all times.

Check out the window cutting...pretty sweet, huh?

Life Stuff

No, I have not fallen off the earth again. My camera is dead and the charger is missing.

I've been doing some thinking and it seems a little weird to be at this stage of college.

Why?

Because I grew up being told by teachers, counselors, neighbors and others that "Mark" just isn't school material. Could you imagine how comforting that was?

I've spent a long, long time finding pieces to a gigantic puzzle. It didn't make sense that I was stupid. I was born with a natural ear for music and I was able to play instruments quite well at an early age. I never met a "stupid" musician then and I never have today.

There was no greater fear for me than going to school each day. I dreaded being called on but I totally loved the feeling of "not getting it" in class. Just as I was able to to get a grip of a concept the teacher was already 25 minutes further along with the lesson. I would then scramble to TRY and figure out what else I was missing. It was just another lost cause. It was another episode of "Lost and Still Lost" in my daily classroom environment.

Let's see here. What can make the daily clueless school day even better? Let's tack on the nights of homework to that. By then I had already mentally placed myself deep inside my "Tired of the Frustration" world. This world shielded me from any further prompts to lessen my already empty self-esteem. Yes, I realized the family members helping were getting more and more frustrated but it was my defense mechanism. A pre-teen's psychological state could take only so much.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that maybe I was stupid. I couldn't grasp concepts so it was a no-brainer, I'm stupid. The best tutors in school were helpless with me. Oh yeah, I must be stupid. I fell into the "dumb jock" routine early in my life. I was told by a few "Thank goodness you have talent for sports because"....you get the point.

Sports became a salvation for me.

Sports could have carried me quite far but I was missing a very important thing. I was always very immature emotionally growing up. Sports were so important for my well-being that I couldn't accept not being the best. I was better than most people without even trying that hard but I could never handle being truely tested. It reinforced that fear I learned in the classroom. Why couldn't sports always be pleasant? Hadn't I suffered enough in the classroom to deserve some "happy time" on the basketball court or baseball field?

Here is the flip side. Yes, a lot of things were a little screwed up when I was younger but it's up to us as responsible human beings to grow. I could have given up a long time ago, never married and possibly found myself in a cozy cell with a very large man............holy freakin' crap. I know today I am not stupid and I realize my attention span is that of a 3 year-old. Yes, I'm sure it drives my wife crazy when she says something to me and I'm off in another universe. I will probably always get frustrated when it takes me 12 minutes to complete a task that Emma can do in 4.

That's me. Stay tuned for more stuff...after I head to Best Buy and buy a new battery charger.

Emma and Addi look nothing alike in this picture.

Addi was singing her "ABC's" while playing Grandma's piano.