The guys had a big morning of gathering, sorting, and preg-testing (Moooooooo!!!) on the ranch and I have a big post to share tomorrow with all the highs and lows, ups and downs, tragedy and triumph of that four hour period.
As a little bit of a tide-me-over, here are some moments that made me smile this morning.
The sunrise. How could it not?
My daughter riding past me just as the sun popped over the hill. This photo is pretty much unedited; look at that happy yellow light!
My father-in-law, just after he got on his horse. He’d struggled a bit and grunted, and I think he even slipped a tad. And after he was safely on his saddle, he hollered “It’s the pits bein’ old!” and everyone laughed.
Early morning laughter is some of the very best laughter. Everyone still has their sleepy voices and for many of them, it’s the first sound they’ve made all day.
While the first sound I made all day was screaming “Nooooooooooo!” when Marlboro Man told me it was time to get up.
But I realize that isn’t everyone’s journey.
Being out in the silence. Well, unless you count the symphony of 300 cows and calves making their way toward your pickup. Oh, what a blessed, beautiful sound.
And I realize I’m not smiling in this photo. At least not outwardly.
Let’s just say my soul was smiling.
Seeing Marlboro Man approaching in the rear-view mirror. I don’t know…it just adds a little more suspense and thrill than if I were just watching him come straight toward me.
It was very exciting.
I’m weird.
My nephew trying to avoid my camera.
You can run, but you can’t hide!
There you go. Just surrender. It’s all for the best.
Charlie running straight at me. And the virtual face-lift that resulted.
The horses, chilling out after a big gathering.
Oh, I love the smell of horses in the morning.
If my 16-year-old self could hear my 44-year-old self saying that, she never, ever would have believed it.
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.
