We're Getting Married!

How We Met In the post-COVID era of online dating, when love stories began with Wi-Fi connections and witty bios, ours was no exception. Tye and Michael first met online, and after a few weeks of conversation, Michael made the trip to the little town of Valley View for their first in-person date. Tye, a self-proclaimed foodie with a taste for the finer things, soon discovered that Michael’s diet was... let’s just say, delightfully simple. His culinary world consisted mainly of chicken tenders, hot dogs, French fries, and anything yellow. That first evening, they walked the Towering Oaks property, grilled hot dogs over the fire pit, and spent hours laughing and talking under the stars. By the end of the night, it was clear that this was something special. At the time, Michael was working full-time in Dallas and spending weekends in College Station overseeing his restaurant. When Tye came down to help prepare the restaurant for a health inspection, he met Michael’s mom, Cathy, and, true to form, charmed her instantly. Between shifts, commutes, and late nights, their connection only deepened. Whenever Michael wasn’t in College Station, he’d drive back to Valley View to help Tye with weddings, bussing tables, bartending, mowing lawns, or wrangling decorations. Over time, the weekends turned into a life together. Two years later, Michael sold the restaurant and officially became Towering Oaks’ resident beekeeper, gardener, and Tye’s right-hand man in every sense of the word. These days, they spend nearly every day side-by-side, working, laughing, and tending to their beloved (and very spoiled) American Staffordshire, Peaches. They’ve shared adventures far and wide, from cruises through Belize, Mexico, and Honduras, to exploring the cobblestone charm of Québec City, where they braved Inuit cuisine and stayed in the historic Château Frontenac. In January 2025, just before another cruise, Tye proposed in the Houston Botanical Gardens, surrounded by flowers, sunshine, and a few happy tears. They’ll officially tie the knot in December 2026, right back where it all began: beneath the stars at Towering Oaks.