And Aubrey Was Her Name...

When did this beautiful baby become an amazingly beautiful woman? Aubrey Dawn Messick won my heart from day one and has been winning hearts ever since.





I watched her grow from that beautiful baby to a precocious child. I watched her grow through the gangly teen years and on into womanhood. I followed her journey through college and her mission to Saskatchewan, Canada. And I watched her blossom just as the beautiful flower arrangements she is so gifted in creating.



I followed her "Mormon Bachelorette" journey with interest and amazement as she found her "forever" soul-mate as that story unfolded.





At long last, the culmination of all of this growing and blossoming and taking the risks on her journey has been wrapped in one glorious package called "the bride!" There are no words left in me to adequately describe my feelings as I watched once again with awe my little Aubrey kneel at the alter of marriage on March 19, 2011 and accept so willingly the new member of our family, Matthew Laidlaw, as her "forever" husband. The tears that welled in my eyes and spilled over to run down my face were tears of joy.





The day was one out of Cinderella's own story. Aubrey found her Prince Charming. They were sealed in the beautiful Temple in Los Angeles, where her mother and father were sealed; and both grand-parents were also sealed there. And though this is news to Aubrey, even her great-grand-parents were sealed there.

They hosted the wedding reception of the century at the Messick home in Laguna Niguel and when all of the festivities were done, Prince Charming rode off with his bride, Princess Aubrey not on a great white steed, but on his big, loud Harley through a sea of sparklers into the night. It was amazing!



Aside from all of the festivities and the joy for the happy couple, I think the most touching part of the evening was to watch our "little" Aubrey dance with her daddy to the tune of "And Aubrey Was Her Name" and to see the tears streaming down Kenny's face. Priceless! That is one vision I will keep with me for a very long time!



God bless the happy couple! I love you Aubrey!

Consider the brick...

My great-great-grandfather, Thomas Davenport, was a potter. He was sent by Brigham Young to Parowan, Utah to not only help settle the area, but to find a high quality of clay for his pottery to supply the needs of the Saints in a growing community.


















My husband, Gerry Henderson, was a Geologist. He also worked with clay. He found high quality clay that could withstand extreme heat to form long-lasting bricks for Interpace Brick Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. He found the clay, mined it and eventually, made bricks that would be used to build our first home in Salt Lake City. This home would keep his growing family safe.



Our Savior, the creator of this world created the clay that can be heated and formed into pottery and bricks. The finished product may go through many, many failures before the right combination of elements would produce a brick or pot strong enough to be useful. He also formed man and said he would be tested and sometimes the heat of those tests would be very, very hot; and sometimes he would crumble and fall apart until the right combination of experiences would produce a stronger man! In the process, our testimonies would grow and we would grow stronger.

Now, consider the brick.

In the hands of some it can be a building block, something that is of great use. On the other hand, in the hands of another it can be a weapon of destruction, thrown at will in order to injure.

I would like to consider a metaphore that I call "The Parable Of The Brick." I would propose that we liken the brick to the gifts we received from our Heavenly Father as part of our earthly inheritance. What will we do with our gifts? Will we bury them in a useless heap? Will we sling them at our enemies (and sometimes our friends)? Or will we use them for their God-given purpose--to build?


And what shall we build? Will we use them to build our homes to shelter our children? Or will we use them to build walls either to keep our families safe or to shut others out?


Or will we use these bricks (gifts) to build bridges to cross over rivers of doubt and misunderstandings. Or build bridges to span gulfs of harsh judgements in order to embrace those we love the most in our lives?


What will you build with your bricks? Walls? Or Bridges? The choice is yours.