See this woman? This is Dave’s mom, Marcia, and her sweet dog, Hope. When Dave’s dad died 4 years ago Marcia decided she needed a dog for company, and let us be honest, she needed someone to care for. She took care of everyone. That was Marcia’s way, she was a helper. On June 6th we unexpectedly lost Marcia. She was sharp, independent, and took great care of herself. All of these things make her death harder to accept.
Marcia loved The Pumpkin Ranch. She was an incredible cheerleader to us. Fall was the time of year she took care of our family. When the kids were young, she rotated Sundays with my mom and babysat the kids. When we started this business, our kids were 1 and 3 years old (WHAT??!). The funny thing is, Cooper did not even know we had a pumpkin business until he was about 3. When he was under 3 he wasn’t tall enough to see out our windows. We just told him Mom and Dad were going to a meeting and grandma was babysitting. For real, he believed us. We bribed Layla by telling her that if she played along, she could come out and sit in the barn with mom when Cooper took his nap. I think the best parenting comes with the most creative bribes and deception. Do not take parenting advice from me!
When the kids were old enough to work at The Ranch, we no longer needed the weekend babysitter. But Marcia was still our caregiver in the form or meals. She stocked our freezer so the kids could head into the house a little before us at the end of the day, pop something in the oven, and we would have a hot, delicious meal at the end of a long day. And, as you know, I eat like a teenage boy during pumpkin season, so she really saved me (and my family) from myself!
We will miss her forever.
