Today, we are a thankful family of six who very much enjoy spending time together. Our special ingredient is "love" and we're thankful for a family business that allows us to work together, sharing ideas for future cookies, hearing stories of satisfied customers, and, of course, taste-testing!
Yet, it hasn't always been this way.
Following our marriage in 1992, we struggled with seven years of infertility while we very much desired to have children. Then, in 1999, the Lord blessed us with our first child, Jacob. Over the course of 5 years, the Lord blessed us with three more children: Emilie, Zachary and Benji.
At that time, both Andy and I worked full-time jobs, discovering that our children were being raised in daycare and that we had very little time to spend together as a family doing the things that we most enjoyed.
During those early years, and though quite low on our priority list, we managed to find a small amount of time for my enjoyment of baking (and Andy's enjoyment of eating that which I baked!).
In August of 2006, I (Leigh Ann) was brought to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, followed by Andy a year later.
With new hearts and minds, we began to desire the Lord's will for our family and began to pray that God would show us a way for me to be the wife and mother He created me to be. In September of 2008, we followed the Lord's prompting and I quit my full-time job, accepting a part-time job as the administrative assistant at our church. What a blessing!
While we had to be much more "frugal" with our funds, I was able to do so much more with our family, including baking!
In March of 2010, we gave birth again, of sorts. Only, this time, it was to a "family business".
After making "farm animal" themed, sugar cookies for a church baby shower, many of our friends raved over how much they loved the look and taste of our special cookies!
Following the nudging and encouragement of friends and with the Lord's direction, we, the Shaner Family embarked upon the family journey of "Your Cookie Rookie."
It's been wonderfully exciting to see how the Lord continually blesses our family baking business. We praise Him! And, we thank you, our valued friend and customer, for choosing to come along with us!
Over the years to come, we began to increase with business.
In 2014 our church fadded away, and with it, Leigh Ann's job.
Again, we prayed for wisdom. does she get a second job outside the house, or go full time into the cookies.
Another tough decision led her to full time self employment.
Again, God blessed us with being increasingly busy.
2019- We are so busy we cannot increase business without some more space.
AGAIN, God stepped in and with the encouragement of friends, we invested in our stand alone shop in the town of Waynesburg.
