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mom next door Shayna Easley Landry BY AMANDA MILLER PHOTO BY LAUREN ASHTON LIGHTS DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
OCCUPATION: SENIOR CIVIL DESIGNER AND PRESIDENT OF THE FOSTER VILLAGE HUSBAND: MEL CHILDREN: LINDA, 25; WYATT, 9; AND HARPER, 5 HOBBIES: WORKING ON THE FARM, SOLVING GENETIC MYSTERIES, AND CRAFTING
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DAY spent caring for peacocks, chickens, emu, goats, turkeys and a pony may sound like a lot of work to many, but for Shayna Easley Landry, it’s just one part of her day, and it’s something she never thought she would be experiencing a year ago. Right as the pandemic hit, Shayna and her family traded out city life for farm life. This move provided more space for the family of five to thrive and gave them all an opportunity to slow down and decompress together. As a wife, mother, grandmother, civil designer, and founder of a local nonprofit, Shayna is no stranger to a full schedule. However, she always leaves plenty of room for fun with her kiddos, whether they’re playing pranks on one another or getting hands-on with science experiments. What does a normal day look like for you? SHAYNA: I work from home now, but it’s nice because I built this little office and I can get some work done but still enjoy the farm. I have tons of windows, and so every now and again, I go for a walk or I’ll see chickens passing by my window. My husband’s working from home as well, so we can take a break from our corporate life and walk out to the barn and kind of decompress with the animals. It’s a little bit of hardcore engineering work, and then a little bit of animal time during the day. What’s something a lot of people don’t know about you? SHAYNA: Most people don’t know that I’m a grandmother. Linda has two children. My girls share that they’re both adopted from foster care. What are some of the joys and challenges of raising children? SHAYNA: They’re just so different. It’s so cool to see how different they are, and I think the challenge is their differences as well. You can’t parent each child the same, so what works for one doesn’t work for the other. Harper is a testament to that. She is our strong-willed wild and free child. The other two, they just did not prepare me for her. My stepson is the total opposite. He is so quiet, down to earth, and laid back. What led you to fostering? SHAYNA: The times that I’ve adopted from foster care, both 26
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I can adapt a lot better than I thought I could. I’ve always been spontaneous. I’m one of those people who doesn’t look before they leap, but they keep me there in that childlike, spontaneous way. of the girls fell into my lap. I wasn’t a certified foster parent. I didn’t know anything about foster care. The first time I fostered, I was 23 and she was 14, so we were both learning and growing at the same time. It was one of the most amazing things that I’ve ever done. It was also one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. You know, she’s 25, but she’s my baby. After getting Harper, I knew that I couldn’t take any more. Both times, I was single, so that’s where The Foster Village came from, being able to help more children. I just have a huge heart for the kids. What do you like to do as a family? SHAYNA: We do a lot of outdoor things together. We go camping quite often. We try to get them out into nature as much as possible. My husband’s a marine biologist, so he’s really outdoorsy, and then of course, the farm. We’re teaching them to raise the animals and they love it. What’s your favorite thing about being a mom? SHAYNA: I love watching them connect the dots and learn, and then seeing them mimic something that I’ve done before. Just like with my work. I’m in civil engineering and people always ask why I chose that, and it’s because civil engineering is bridges, it’s sidewalks, it’s things that you can walk on and see, and have an impact in the world. It’s the same thing with the kids. I can teach something, and then it might not be today or tomorrow, but in six months, I see it come back. You’re planting the seeds for a prosperous future. What has parenthood taught you? SHAYNA: Patience. I can adapt a lot better than I thought I could. I’ve always been spontaneous. I’m one of those people who doesn’t look before they leap, but they keep me there in that childlike, spontaneous way.
