Michael & Wyatt

Michael might seem a bit quiet at first... but his good friends and I know better. He has a silly sense of humor that's sometimes subtle, but also sometimes quite out there. I appreciate the way he makes me laugh so easily. My favorite thing about Michael is his passion - for his music, his students, our pets, and our home. At almost any time, I can either hear music coming from his home studio or hear him playing with the dogs or birds, or both. His students love him, too. He tries to make it to all their concerts, and they always seek him out afterwards to excitedly ask him how they did. His impact on them is special to see. Michael loves a good true crime TV show or cold case documentary. I do not. I'll stick to my HGTV, deep sea fishing, and cooking shows, and he will graciously watch these with me, too. He's also an excellent artist. On more than one occasion he's fallen asleep with a sketch book in his hands late at night. As a musician, Michael has performed across the U.S. - Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, California, and, of course, Texas. He's even performed in Tokyo, Japan. I'm pretty sure, though, that his favorite place to be is in our home, cuddled up on the couch with the dogs and me. He's devoted to this place and this family. I know Michael is going to be the same passionate, silly, devoted person as a dad!

Wyatt is an extremely hard worker with a million balls in the air, but he will drop all of them to be there for his family and friends. I was first attracted to Wyatt's sense of confidence. Over time, it's given me a sense of safety and steadiness in our life together. And it seems to give Wyatt a calmness that relaxes his family, friends, and probably his patients as we feel supported and secure. Wyatt provides incredible care for so many people, and he's constantly trying to find new ways of enhancing our lives. While some may find my interests and passions a bit quirky, Wyatt is always supportive of my artistic endeavors and my obsession with our animals. He'll put in headphones to sleep so that I can play drums late at night and tear down and rebuild a barn for horses we don't even have yet. He remembers little things that are important to me and supports me in following through with them. He makes special days even more special and does his best to make bad days better. I know Wyatt finds meaning in his office, transforming the lives of his patients. I know, too, that he finds peace at the lake and on the ranch. But I think he finds his true joy right here in our backyard, cooking and simply spending time with me, family, and friends. If we pick up his favorite oatmeal raisin cookies from a little shop on the square, he's in heaven. Wyatt has talked about one day becoming a father since I've known him. I can't wait to see how his confidence, care, and supportiveness enrich the lives of our kids.

We both work hard during the week. Wyatt works as a trauma psychologist with veterans and as a college professor. Michael teaches percussion to 6th-12th graders. He also performs and records with several other musicians. So, we cherish time for fun and relaxation. On a typical weekend, you can find us enjoying ourselves around the house together. We love being outside working on the yard, the garden, or the barn. Sometimes we Door Dash dinner and sometimes we grill out on the patio where we'll also eat and watch TV together in the evenings. Otherwise, we'll visit the square in town where several of our favorite restaurants (and pie shop) are. Michael's hobbies include horseback riding, drawing, and collecting. Of course, music and animals are of utmost importance. Wyatt goes hunting in the fall and spends the summers fishing. He enjoys pretty much anything outdoors - hiking, swimming, and grilling are at the top of the list. While we're pretty independent and enjoy these hobbies on our own, some of the most special times are when we share in each other's passions. Wyatt loves riding horses with Michael and going to his concerts. And Michael enjoys a trip to the lake or a hike with Wyatt. Sometimes Wyatt gets to travel for work and Michael comes along so we can make it a little vacation, too. Most recently, we travelled back down to the area we got married in for our anniversary weekend. We hope to travel more - and, of course, enjoy plenty of time on the patio - in the future. We can't wait to include our child in our adventures, big and small.

We're a big pet family! Piper is our oldest. She's a 13-yearold Jack Russell terrier and dachshund mix. They advertised her as a "jacked up weenie dog," and we laughed all the way to pick her up. She loves being outside, swimming, and even paddleboarding. Maila is our 10-year-old chihuahua/ dachshund mix. Her favorite pastime is sleeping, and she can usually be found cuddled up in someone's lap. We also have 3 birds, Wally, Ernie, and Ivy. They're very sweet and loving. A couple of them even say, "I love you!" And they whistle Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We're both animal people - especially Michael who hopes to finally have his dream horse here at our home soon. We can't wait to introduce our pets to our newest family member!