There aren’t many people that can say they got to see a great grandparent or even a great-great grandparent, but I was blessed to spend 31 years of my life with my great-grandmother “Mamaw Cole” who was Harper’s great-great-grandmother and is where Harper’s middle name came from (along with Papaw Cole). For 18+ months of Harper Cole’s life, he was part of 5 living generations spanning down the Cole family tree. Simply an amazing blessing.

Mamaw Cole was full of love, laughs, hugs, kisses, smacks pats on the cheek, candy, and all of the stuff that makes grandmothers “great”…but most of all she was full of faith. She loved the Lord and wanted to share Jesus with everyone she knew. More than anything she wanted to make sure her children, grandchildren, relatives and friends were saved. You see…she wanted to be more than a mother, grandmother, relative or friend. She wanted to be a sister in Christ. She wanted to join everyone she knew in the glory of Heaven one day. That was her dying desire…she literally wept at the thought of “lost” family members and friends…because for those unsaved, all that Kate Cole would be is a mother, grandmother, relative, or friend.

Mamaw wanted to give the gift of salvation to everyone she knew…but unfortunately she couldn’t simply “give” it as easily as a piece of Bazooka bubble gum, Double Bubble, or a Blow Pop. The gift of salvation comes as a personal decision…it takes all of the heart, but it’s a decision that can be made in a heartbeat. Mamaw planted the seed of faith in an untold number of people and she was blessed to see many of those people accept Christ during their life and know that she’d one day see them again…the blessed assurance.

Mamaw Cole’s funeral service was a beautiful celebration of her life and a magnificent testimony to God. Hundreds of people showed up to pay their respects, share stories, and witness God’s work through this wonderful little lady. I heard numerous people say, “When I go, this is exactly how I’d like to be remembered.” For those that were there…you know what I mean. For those that weren’t, I simply can’t describe the feelings and emotions during that funeral service, but I can say it was the most powerful and God-inspired service I have ever experienced. The impact she had on people’s lives was simply breathtaking.

And yes…when I go, “that’s exactly how I want to be remembered”.

For 3 years, Mamaw’s children cared & provided for her in order to keep her out of a nursing home. They endured more than I could ever imagine with unconditional love and I simply cannot thank them enough for what they did. Through their efforts, Mamaw got to see her great-great grandson be born…experience his first laughs…witness his dedication in the church…see his First Christmas…be there (over 200 miles away) for his first birthday…and so much more. God blessed her with loving children that helped keep her with us and creating many wonderful memories I’ll never forget.

So…as I wipe away the tears, manage a slight smile in the corner of my mouth, and thank God for the love…the memories…and the faith that was Mamaw Cole….I remember what she’d always say when I would tell her “I love you”. She’d reply with “I love you more.” Well, Mamaw…I love you most.

Finally…I want to share this video of her making Harper Cole laugh when he was 4 months old. It was one of the first times that he laughed out loud…and it was all for his sweet, great-great-grandmother. She’d always hold him and say, “Mamaw loves somebody.”

Mamaw…these somebodies will always love you, too….

During Harper’s first Halloween, he was decked out as a lil’ cowboy, but he had these booty things that “looked” like boots since he wasn’t walking yet. Well…I think it’s finally time to bump him into his very first kids cowboy boots! I didn’t realize there were so many cowboy boots for boys and girls to choose from! I thought they would come in basic black or brown, but noooooo. Just try clicking the link above or the image below and seeing how many kids cowboy boots for boys and girls are available. It’s insane!

Maybe I’ll just let his mommy stick to buying the shoes…

Mother’s Day is here once again to celebrate all the mothers out there…I also like to call this day “labor day”…or “ouch day”. I definitely have a whole new respect for Mother’s Day after seeing Harper Cole bust his way out into this world. So with that said, Harper and I wanted to do something special for Crystal. We wanted to give her something she could always keep and always remember. Well…there’s no doubt she’s going to remember this one!

As I got into photography I got to know an artist by the name of Kelly O’Neill who was somewhat starting out at the time. She had amazing talent and I had always told myself I’d have her draw my child one day. She has since moved to Nashville and done portraits for numerous celebrities and become incredibly popular. It’s wild to see someone start from humble beginnings and work their way up with God-given talent….and that she definitely has.

So I sent her my favorite picture of my lil’ guy and asked if she could do a portrait for Mother’s Day. Needless to say, she was thrilled to draw Harper Cole! What she sent was simply amazing. What’s also amazing is the time it took her to do it! She completed the drawing extremely fast and worked with me on a few minor adjustments to the picture…I say minor because it was practically perfect the first time she showed me. I am absolutely blown away be the detail of her work. You can see the actual picture and the final portrait below. If you ever see it at our house you can see everything down to the stitching in his overalls…simply incredible! In fact, it was so incredible that I had Kelly create 8×10’s of it for the grandmothers as a Mother’s Day gift for them as well! So, yes, Grammy/Granna/Mamaw/GiGi/etc…you all will be getting your own!

I can absolutely, 100% recommend Kelly O’Neill to anyone out there wanting a work of art to cherish forever. You can see her work and hire her for a portrait through her website at http://www.theartistoflife.com. Be sure to tell her I said hi!

Oh, and Kelly even stuck it on her website to describe the process of her portraits! Check it out at: http://www.theartistoflife.com/process.html

So here it is…Crystal’s special Mother’s Day present!

There are fewer greater moments in life than when a son shows interest in…well…”manly” stuff. Maybe it’s a rite of passage to manhood in someway (yes, even if the boy is only 15 months old). Harper is all about 4-wheelers (boodin’ boodin’), dump trucks, bulldozers, firetrucks, cars, drums, guitars, music, and ladies (not necessarily in that order). I think each time he shows an interest in something new like that I grow another chest hair…so I’m at least up to 10 or so now. At the rate he’s going I’ll be a beast by the time he’s 3.

While my dad (Harper’s “Papaw”) and Gina were in town we went to the Georgia Aquarium and saw some minnows and seaweed…not much else there to look at. Okay, I kid…it was awesome. Harper threw out big words like…”ooh” and “fiss”. Yeah, when he says “fish” it comes out as “fiss”. Close enough to earn a stuffed animal in the gift shop…and a book…and a t-shirt.

Also, while mommy and I were getting ready, Harper was outside playing with “Papaw” and “GG” (that’s what Harper calls Gina). Little did I know that they were training Harper in the boyhood art of cricket catchin’. Now, anyone who knows Harper Cole knows he’s a stubborn, resilient, baby-in-training. I’ll just let the following video prove that!

CHASING CRICKETS from Tony Eubanks on Vimeo.

So yes…add “cricket catchin'” to the list. Oh look…another chest hair!

Harper has started copying things we do and say lately and now he has started “laughing” whenever we laugh. I say “laughing” in quotes, because we’re not really sure if he’s laughing…or just making fun of us. It’s sort of a laugh/cry/yell that’s…well…just funny! Check out the video below to see it for yourself!

I’ve had many Thanksgivings come and go and I always have so many things to be thankful for, but this year is different. This year I’m a Daddy and that brings an entirely new meaning to being “thankful” that I’ve never known. From the moment Harper was born, there has literally been something new every day that I thank God for. Each day with Harper seems to be better than the last. He’s just an amazing blessing. On top of that, I have a wonderful wife who is even a more incredible mother. She keeps Harper fed, happy, and clean (and me too). I can’t thank her enough for all that she does without me ever asking. I know she thinks that I believe there is a “magical” laundry, grocery, and house-cleaning fairy that appears while I’m at work and takes care of everything and makes sure there is milk in the fridge, but I’m starting to believe that she’s the one who actually does all of that. So, yes, I’m extremely grateful for all that she does and all that she is to me. God has blessed me with an amazing family.

So Harper…thank you for being the most incredible child a daddy could ask for. Thank you for making sure I wake up in the morning. Thank you for making me more grateful for indoor plumbing…I look forward to the day you learn to use the toilet. Thank you for your adventurous, curious, mischievous and resilient personality…don’t ever lose that. Thank you for laughing at the silly faces and noises I make. Thank you for laughing at the silly faces and noises you make. Thank you for making every single day of my life even more enjoyable. Thank you for being a great baby…you play well, sleep great, and eat like a champ. Thank you for making me smile…even when you do something that shouldn’t make me smile. Thank you for greeting me with a huge smile when I come home from work. Thank you, son, for being more than I ever imagined what having a child would be like. Thank you for making me a “daddy”. I love you.

Crystal, thank you for saying, “yes”. Thank you for saying, “I do”. Thank you for supporting me, encouraging me, and standing beside me through all that we’ve been through. Thank you for your faith, prayers, and your love for God and sharing that with our son. Thank you for keeping me alive with crazy amazing food. Thank you for mastering the washer & dryer. Thank you for keeping the floors clean enough to eat off of (Harper tries to sometimes). Thank you for tolerating college football. Thank you for having better fashion sense than I do. Thank you for remembering birthdays and holidays and when cards need to be sent…and sending them. Thank you for everything you do…I don’t say that enough, but thank you for making me a husband…the most grateful husband in the world. I love you.

It seems like most of the videos that I post are of Harper eating…well…I guess that’s because his true personality shows when he takes a bite of food. He shares his daddy’s love of food and his mommy’s expressive personality. You put those two together and you’ve got a pretty strong baby food critic!

So here it is…the clip that many have heard about and only few have seen. Harper was about 7 months old in this video and I was taking care of him while mommy was at a Bible study. Needless to say, I think mommy does a much better job in the food department. Harper only seems to make these faces whenever I feed him. Come to think of it…I think I make these faces too whenever I feed myself…

It has taken nearly 7 months, but Harper finally has enough hair that he can “style” it now…if that’s what you want to call it. He knows bald is beautiful, but he’s starting to dig this whole “hair” thing. After all, he loves yanking on our hair! Mommy gave him his first lil’ spike, and well……we’re still not sure what Harper thought about it, but maybe this pic will give you an idea: