I can't believe this day has arrived! Bryce, my third child and first son, has graduated from high school. Excuse me while I go cry for ninety years.
Okay, I'm back. Yes, Bryce has officially graduated, and a semester early! He took concurrent college courses over the summer and fall to satisfy his high school requirements, and within three weeks I'll be driving him down to Texas to start college. Excuse me while I go cry for four hundred years.
Okay, I'm back. Bryce is starting school early for one important reason: Football!
After verbally committing last spring, he finally signed his letter of intent last week to play football at University of North Texas, home of the Mean Green football team (and alma mater of NFL Hall of Famer Mean Joe Greene!). Bryce is really happy, and Ladd and I couldn't be more excited for Bryce that he'll be able to continue playing football—and we're so proud of him for all the hard work that got him there.
Bryce wants to get this show on the road, so while he might miss the ranch a little bit (haha), he wants to get to UNT as soon as he can and start practicing with the team. It will be so fun to watch his progress and see how he adapts to the pace and grind of college ball!
As for me (because uh...this is all about me after all!) I can't believe B-Man is leaving home in such a short time.
He was a little boy yesterday. This has snuck up on me and I'm not ready. I mean, I am ready. But I'm not. But I am. But I'm not.
Fortunately, I'll still have Todd and Jamar to get me through! Oh, and my husband. Ha. But then Jamar will be heading to college next summer...and after that it'll just be Todd at home for two more years. This is happening, friends...and it's happening fast! Excuse me while I go cry for nine thousand years.
(I'll be okay...as long as the global Kleenex supply holds up.)
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
