AOP: What is the most difficult challenge you have had to face as a mother?
Linna : One of the most difficult challenges that I have had to face as a mother was times when my husband went on deployment. It was hard, especially when Armani reached the age where he somewhat understood what a deployment was.
AOP: How did you overcome that challenge, and what did you learn from it?
Linna : How I overcame that challenge was that we had a routine through the week, and on the weekends, we would spend time with family and find things to do in town.
When he started school, it definitely made the time go by fast. I learned that by keeping myself busy and spending time with my loved ones, it definitely made the time go by faster, and I didn’t have much time to sit back to count down the months, days, hours, and minutes.
AOP: When was the last time your husband deployed? Do you expect him to leave again anytime soon?
Linna : The last time my husband was deployed was back in 2020-2021 to the Middle East, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He is fortunate enough to be currently assigned to a non-deployable TDA unit where he can train and mentor younger Soldiers. We love having him home to make up for time lost!
AOP: What are some self-care practices you use to take care of yourself as a mother?
Linna : I enjoy pampering myself. I do my own lashes, nails, and hair at home. It is very therapeutic to me, and I look forward to those days.
AOP: How do you handle feelings of being overwhelmed or stressed?
Linna : I handle my feelings of being overwhelmed/stressed by cooking and doing my self-care routine. Shopping also helps me a lot, or even just going to the stores and looking at things to see what they put out — especially during the fall/winter season.
AOP: How do you foster a strong relationship with your child?
LH: I foster a strong relationship with my son by letting him know that he can always come to me, whether it is good or bad; he can always come and talk to me about it. I want him to know that no matter the situation, I will always be here to listen to him and that his feelings are just as valid as mine.
AOP: If you had a “mom superpower”, what would it be?
Linna : If I had a mom superpower, I wish that I could be in a million places at the same time so that I wouldn’t miss anything.
AOP: What are some ways you and your family celebrate the holiday season?
Linna : If we are not at home enjoying each other’s company, we try to visit as much family as possible and plan trips every other holiday. Two of our favorite trips have been visiting Gatlinburg, TN, and a cruise to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
We enjoy going to the beach and visiting anywhere in the mountains. We love a good road trip as well as stopping at new gas stations.
AOP: Do you have any special Christmas Eve traditions?
Linna : Our special tradition on Christmas Eve, as a family, is that we get matching PJs, make hot chocolate, and watch Home Alone.
Armani and I will bake cookies for Santa, and my husband will pour milk for Santa. Then, Armani will leave a letter for Santa, and he always asks for his special buddy, X, an Elf on the Shelf, to stay a day longer.
Rapid Fire Questions
- Vacation or Staycation? Vacation!
- Flip Flops or Tennis Shoes? Tennis Shoes
- Home-cooked meal or go out? Home-cooked
- Stay up late or wake up early? Stay up late
- Movie Night in or go to the Movie Theatre? Movie night in
Linna Xaysombath and her family live in Opelika. She is a military spouse and has been married to her husband, Wayne, for five years, although they had been together for six years before that. He serves our country as an active duty military member in the Army, just like his father did. Wayne and Linna have one son, Armani, who is 10 years old. He enjoys history, running track, and building LEGO sets.
When she isn’t working in the front office for a local pediatric dentist, Linna loves to cook. Her favorite style of food to make is Lao, which is her family’s ethnicity. She has deemed cooking as one of the ways she shows others her love. The family really enjoys watching Auburn football and can be found grilling on most game days. They also enjoy family movie nights where they can snuggle on the couch and eat popcorn together.
Author: Staff
It is our pleasure to serve you and your family as the Wiregrass's #1 Resource for local families.
