My Home, My Family -- Priceless and Practically Perfect in Every Way

So, it's Sunday morning and another beautiful fall day.  We are refinancing our home to a lower interest rate and fewer years to pay it off and that requires an appraisal.  The appraisal person came by on Thursday, walked through our house and took pictures and measurements and asked about improvements in the past few years to get the highest appraisal, possible.  Hmmm . . . . improvements since we moved into our Hunter home?  Something to think about -- the built-ins in the office, new paint and new carpet, the pergola over the patio, a nice vinyl fence, . . .

Well, that question got me thinking (yes, I do think on occasion). I dropped off a gift basket on the porch of a friend yesterday afternoon.  She lives at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon in a very nice home in a well-kept, upper middle-class neighborhood with large trees, beautifully manicured yards, and so on.  Mind you, I have no criticism at all of the home, the neighborhood, etc.; my thoughts were more about how the homes would appraise for more than mine although my beautiful home has about the same square footage, well-kept yard, etc., but in a different neighborhood where people's incomes, professions, and priorities are not as obvious in where they live or the size of their homes. 

So, back to the questions posed to me by the appraiser about improvements since we moved into our home 13 years ago.  Let's start with the growth and development of three amazing children all of whom have maintained their nice, healthy and strong, smart spirits during the time we have called our house "home" - improvements! Let's go on with a very good dad/husband who has taken up doing the wash and yard work and completely changed his work with additional education this past years while serving in YM leadership, priesthood group leadership, scouts, Stake sports/activity leader, and assistant to me, the boss of the house, in everything I do with family, church, and work - improvements! Can't leave out 2 amazing sons-in-law which meant 2 temple marriages and wedding celebrations to go along with them - improvements!  Think about the preparation and cooking for Sunday dinners (670+), birthday celebrations (too many to count), Christmas parties -- and all of the conversations and activities that ensue. Also, add in planning and discussion for family trips to Disneyland, Yellowstone -- improvement!  Add in all of the homework and studying for junior high, high school, college courses, church lessons, talks, and callings are also for improvement! Then consider the work and collaboration needed for an honor student, athlete, Eagle Scout and SBO president -- improvements! At last, the grand improvements have come along the way -- Elliott, Wyatt, Molly, Jack, and Quinn!

I could go on but only with annoying emphasis.  The point to all of this is that you are who you are regardless of a home's appraisal; and, in my opinion, the improvements that occur in a home are not so much about physical, tangible improvements but so much more about the intrinsic and extrinsic improvements made by those who live therein.  In that case, my home and my family are priceless and practically perfect in every way . . . and appraise at invaluable levels.  The End.