A few days after we arrived in Vail, our family had a milestone to celebrate with Todd. It was National Signing Day for college football, which meant it was time for my youngest to sign his Letter of Intent with the college he'll call home starting in January.
And that college is...University of South Dakota!
We are so excited for Todd. He had a busy summer of recruiting trips and visits to various colleges, and it so happened that South Dakota was the very last stop on the journey. He and I were tired of traveling and ready to get home, and I remember saying a very specific prayer that after the last stop, Todd would have clarity about his decision ahead.
The visit turned out to be amazing! He loved the campus, loved the coaching staff, loved the athletic facilities...and he met some fellow recruits he really connected with.
As we left to drive home from South Dakota after that trip, it was crystal clear that Todd had found the right spot. He couldn't stop raving about the school and the football program, and I smiled the whole way home. He committed over the phone the very next day, and in the ensuing months, he's felt consistently solid about his decision. An answered prayer indeed!
Since National Signing Day was last Wednesday, Todd had to have the signing ceremony in Vail on our family vacation! This turned out to be perfect, because we all got to be together---and Todd's best friend John, who was on the trip with us, got to be there, too. Todd and John have played football together since they were little boys, so it was such a special moment.
And another fun thing we got to celebrate: The group of guys Todd connected with at the visit last summer all wound up committing and signing their letters of intent on the same day! Todd is so excited that his first friends at University of South Dakota will be his teammates.
As a football mom who has watched every game since this kid was a little boy, who rang cowbells and hollered and cheered for Todd for years, I couldn't be happier that he's getting to continue to play football---and that he's so pleased about the football home he's found. I couldn't ask for anything more.
On a related note, Ladd and I will be driving Todd to college (an eight hour drive from the ranch) in about ten days. The lump in my throat is starting to expand, and I've noticed the tears well up in my eyes a little more easily each day. Yes, I'm about to be entering the empty nest stage, but I'm not really thinking about that. What I'm thinking about is how I'm going to cope with Todd no longer being in our house on a daily basis. (Oops...I'm crying as I write this. Stop that, Ree!) I love the kid so much, and man oh man, am I going to feel the absence!
But I'm so happy for him. But I'm so sad for me. But I'm thrilled for him. But devastated for me.
We raise them to leave us---welcome to parenthood!
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.
