"We moved to Oak Creek in 2022," Nicole and David Fennell say about their home, which they share with their children, Jonathan, 11, Madeleine, 8, and William, 5. Their household also includes two indoor-outdoor cats, Benny and Hazel, a runt kitty named Henri, and a leopard gecko. "We lived in Houston prior to this, but when we both went virtual in 2020, we decided that city life with three small children proved to be quite the challenge. When we were looking at suburbs and weren't excited about any of them, David suggested that if we were going to move out of the city, let's move WAY out of the city, and suggested Tyler, where his twin sister lives. We had no idea that eventually most of David's family would migrate here over the past few years! In addition to our family, David's three sisters and his parents have moved here."

David grew up in Beaumont, Texas, while Nicole lived across the state, from South Padre Island and Austin to Lubbock and Dallas. The pair met in 2009 when Nicole moved to Beaumont for graduate school and met David through his twin sister, who was in the same program. A group outing to a bowling alley sealed the deal for Nicole, who instantly knew she had met her future husband.

Professionally, both David and Nicole are dedicated to health and wellness. David has been a functional personal trainer for more than 15 years and opened Redefine Fitness & Lifestyle near Fresh in 2025. His calling began in college leading workouts for friends, eventually combining his passion with a background in physical therapy to enhance training for his clients. Nicole has been an Integrative & Functional Registered Dietitian Nutritionist since 2010 and operates her private practice, Chews Food Wisely, specializing in medical nutrition therapy for women's health. She also serves as a faculty lecturer at UT Tyler and teaches graduate courses at Stephen F. Austin.

When they are not working or walking on Legacy Trail, the Fennell family stays active outdoors. During cooler months, you can find them playing in the backyard, riding bikes in the cul-de-sac, or kicking a soccer ball around at the Tyler Athletic Club field. They also enjoy tending to their backyard garden, which yielded an unexpected 50-pound sweet potato harvest last year alongside cucumbers, berries, and herbs. They have also established a few fun household traditions over the years, such as streaming classic 80s and 90s movies together in the summer and serving homemade ceviche every Christmas dinner.

In the community, the Fennells are actively involved at Christ Church, and David regularly takes the kids to visit local nursing homes to help with activities. "We are most grateful for the community we have here in Tyler," Nicole shares. "Between our family and church family, we have an incredible network of people who make life so sweet. I love that our kids are able to be surrounded by friends and family who share similar values and that our kids get to be kids! Tyler has been such a wonderful place to raise our family, and we're so grateful to be here."