Zach and Tessa's story began in the beautiful state of Wyoming, where Tessa was close friends with Zach's younger sister, Kelsey. Because Zach and Kelsey are “Irish twins,” their friend groups often overlapped, which meant Tessa and Zach ended up at the same high school get-togethers. Every time Tessa pulled up to pick up Kelsey, Zach would get excited and peek through the blinds saying, “Tell Tessa I say hi,” while his sister would roll her eyes and continue out the door. 

One night, Tess and Kelsey showed up at a friend's house where Zach and his buddies happened to be hanging out. When Tessa walked in, Zach leaned over to his friend and said with complete confidence, “I will marry that girl one day, you watch.” That was Zach, determined and sure of what he wanted. And in time, Tessa began to see what he had known all along. They quickly became inseparable.

Fast forward two years, and at just 20 years old, Tessa held their newborn son Breckyn in her arms and felt her whole world shift. In that instant, any uncertainty about becoming sudden parents faded away. “Although we may not have felt ready when we first learned we were having a baby, the second I looked into his eyes I wanted nothing more than to be his mom.” Tessa recalls. For Zach, there was no hesitation either. He stepped right into the role of protector and provider. Tessa says, ”Breckyn changed our lives for the better. We were young and it was tough, but I would do it again and again. Becoming his parents gave us a reason to build the life we wanted together.”  

Looking back, those were the easy years. Soon after Breckyn was born, Zach began working in oil and gas at the entry level. This career path demanded an extraordinary amount of travel. For more than a decade he was gone at least 75% of the time, missing birthdays, Christmases, and family and friends’ weddings. “Oil doesn’t stop,” Tessa says, ”but his priorities never changed. He was determined to provide and see it through.” It was a struggle, but together they pushed forward. 

Their second child, Blake, was born four years after Breckyn, adding even more joy (and energy) to their family. This made it even harder to live so separated. They soon discovered something that would become their anchor: camping. They bought a little camper and fell in love with campsite hopping. “We would spend the whole time Zach was home up in the mountains, once for 45 days straight soaking up every moment together,” Tessa said. At every new campsite, they picked wildflowers for the dinner table, a small tradition that became a symbol of their family time. Some of their favorite stories come from those days, like the time Tessa carried the 120-pound generator across the campground, only to have Zach return from his hitch, pull out this hidden lever revealing its wheels, laughing uncontrollably while stating, “It’s easier if you roll it.” The kids exploring nature, constantly covered in dirt, bow hunting, building stick forts together, and playing in the hammock, while Zach cooked up his homemade chili are the moments that bonded their family together and created unforgettable memories. Those were by far their happiest times during their “rough years.”

It all came to a crux one year. “You leave the house, and that switch flips. Family life to work life. I would leave anywhere between 14 and 45 days at a time on rotation. At the end of the day, we were in a long-distance relationship, with kids, for over 10 years.” On top of it all was how inconsistent the schedule was. Those days, every time they saw each other felt like a tease. “It takes a strong woman. Men seem capable of doing that but she spent a lot of time alone, raising the kids, and she stuck it out like a champ.” They launched into this enduring relationship from a spark and got through thick, and more thick, and thin. 

Eventually, Zach stayed in his position long enough to take a management position within his field. This could be described as chapter three of their lives . . . They were told they’d have to pack up for Conroe, Texas and be gone within 14 days. After being married for 11 years, they were finally going to see what it was like to wake up next to each other for an extended period of time. Zach had seen the whole country, including Texas, at that point but Tessa had never stepped a foot in the Lone Star State. She got to searching for neighborhoods near Conroe and found Woodforest on YouTube. She was so impressed, she showed it to Zach and said, “This is it.” The house they moved into had gone on the market the day before, and they were signed up and approved the next day. Everything was falling in place. 

As they pulled in, Tessa was shocked to see how many trees are in Texas, and especially Woodforest. It’s almost like they stepped into the New Testament, they say laughingly. Life had changed from night to day.  

The day they moved in, they were backing into the driveway after driving straight through from Wyoming. “I had sat in chocolate on the drive, and really needed to change.” Before she could, four different sets of neighbors came over to greet them and welcome them to the neighborhood. She couldn’t believe how nice everyone was. She also couldn’t believe she was meeting all of her neighbors in her chocolate-covered pants! One neighbor even drew her a map with the whole street and every person’s name. It was a surreal moment, and the best welcome to their new home.

Zach had to learn to acclimate to the suburb life from the wide-open spaces of Wyoming, but he’s coming around. Tess is the social butterfly of the family. She began her real estate career at 23, and has brought that expertise to the neighborhood. Their kids have both made so many friends and absolutely love it in Woodforest. As a family, the Lanes’ favorite thing to do is ride their bikes through the trails, throw frisbee at one of the parks, and just try to be out doing something as much as possible. Their favorite spots in Pine Market are Los Cucos, Grab N Go, and 16 Handles. And coming from a relatively small town themselves, they hold to the principles of supporting the local community as much as possible. It’s been a long way ‘round for the Lane family, but right here in Woodforest they’ve found their home. And they certainly appreciate it.

So that’s the Lanes. Next time you see them, be sure to say hello.