Happy Birthday, Aunt Celeste!

Today would have been my Aunt Celeste's 74th birthday... but sadly she passed away in 2006 from cancer. My cousin wrote a sweet tribute to her mom on her blog and it made me smile to think of all the fun memories we have of her.

I wouldn't say that my aunt and I had a very close relationship, before my parents passed away, but she was the first person I thought of when I was asked if there was anyone I needed to call. I knew she'd know exactly what to do and say. She helped us move out of our home and I am still mortified to this day, that as we drove away and stopped at the first red light, I promptly ran into the back of her car! So embarrassing!!

My aunt used to have Sunday supper (which was really lunch - still don't get that!) every week and would have one of her girls and their families over. Since I was not married or had any children, I was invited every Sunday to have lunch at her house. Man, I miss those Sunday lunches of pot roast, peas and rice! One day instead of the usual butter she put out a mini-tub of Smart Balance. She said that her cholesterol was getting high and the doctor told her she needed to start watching her diet. I quickly realized that what was really bothering her was not that her cholesterol was high, but that it wasn't high enough to require medication - just a change in her diet. That still cracks me up!

From what I understand her father wasn't the best around and somewhat of a racist. One of my uncle's told me that she once told her father that she was going to adopt a cute lil black baby just to shut him up. Oh, to have been there that day! I had forgotten all about that story til Harold and I chose Ethiopia to adopt our next child(ren) from. I know my aunt would have been cheering us on and telling us lil stories of how they first adopted Angelle, her first-born daughter.

I chose this picture of my aunt because although you can't see her beautiful face, you can see her beautiful spirit. I love how her grandchildren (one an honorary one) are so comfortable around her. This pic was taken the morning of my wedding while we were waiting in the hotel lobby. All my lil nieces/flower girls were hanging all over her, just how she loved them to be.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Celeste!