At the Stewart home, the sunflowers grow by the dozens, deer dine like regular customers, and a chocolate Lab considers leash manners entirely optional. It is a lively little ecosystem—one that suits Melody and Bryan Stewart perfectly.

The couple shares their home with an equally spirited four-legged crew: 6-year-olds Henry and Lulu, 4-year-old Wymberly May, and 2-year-old Kitten Cat Valley. Their children, Mary-Cass, 22, and Gatlin, 20, have left Melody and Bryan navigating life as empty nesters, though Melody jokes that her cooking has not adjusted gracefully.

“With no hungry kids around to eat the evidence, I’ve become pretty good at burning just about everything,” she said.

Bryan’s Isle of Hope roots stretch back to childhood, when he and his younger brother, Brad, spent countless hours fishing, crabbing, and learning the surrounding creeks and waterways. Melody grew up in Byron, Georgia, but felt an immediate kinship with the island when she arrived nearly 30 years ago.

Their story together began on Melody’s first day at Georgia Southern University. Bryan became her math tutor, although Melody says he ultimately proved better at tutoring her in life. Friendship came first, followed by marriage, two children, “a million concerts,” and nearly three decades as best friends.

At Georgia Southern, Melody studied special education, while Bryan pursued business administration and management. Melody has taught special education in the community for nearly 30 years and currently works at Charles Ellis Montessori School. She also enjoys a part-time role at Newton’s Package Store alongside owner Ralph, who has operated the shop for 48 years. Bryan followed his father into construction; his father built many homes across Isle of Hope, adding another layer to the family’s connection to the island.

Mary-Cass is a senior at Georgia Southern, studying community health, nutrition, and chemistry. Gatlin works for Colonial Oil, living and working aboard a barge in South Florida.

Back home, Melody and Bryan pour their energy into gardening. Their summer crop included 48 sunflowers—and possibly more, since Melody eventually stopped counting. The deer that frequent their yard are so comfortable that some eat from her hand, earning the property its unofficial status as a neighborhood wildlife café.

Melody is also a familiar face around Isle of Hope. A self-described “community cheerleader,” she rarely misses an opportunity to attend an event, meet someone new, support a neighbor in need, or champion a local business. The family’s favorites include What’s for Dinner, Driftaway Cafe, Auspicious Baking Co., the Isle of Hope Pool, Hester & Zipperer, Cohen’s Retreat, and the Wormsloe gift shop.

For the Stewarts, however, the island’s greatest pleasures remain its simplest: boating, biking, fishing, crabbing, gathering with neighbors, and pausing for a sunrise or sunset.

“You can always count on your neighbors here,” Melody said. “Life here has a way of making the simple things feel pretty special.”