Ladd and I got up at the crack of dawn and drove to see Paige Saturday morning. It was sorority bid day, and we wanted to be there for the fun and celebration.
She did not pledge the sorority that I was in when I was in college…nor did she pledge the sorority her sister is in! Ha. We Drummond women like to make up our own mind.
This is partially my fault, as I have always told my girls a) you can be in a sorority or you can not be in a sorority. It’s not a requirement, and you can have a great college experience without it (they didn’t listen to me; they both definitely wanted to participate), and b) it doesn’t matter to me which sorority you wind up in as long as you find the right place for you (they definitely listened to me).
I’m so glad Paige has some sweet new friends!
In other news, it had stormed the day before, and I was standing in the yard of the sorority house in platform cork wedge sandals. A curious shoe choice for such a day, considering the amount of walking that was required, but when have you ever known me to make smart shoe choices???
The platform cork wedge sandals probably need to be buried now. They are very dirty and desperate.
Of note: Saturday marked the first day Ladd has ever formed Greek symbols with his hands.
He’s growing.
Here’s a neat connection: This is Mary, the daughter of one of my oldest friends, Christy. Christy and I knew each other as children and have lots of memories together, but didn’t see each other much for years and years until we were all grown up and had families of our own. Christy lost her teenage son Tyler (Mary’s brother) in 2009 in a tragic accident, and in the ensuing years we’ve gotten to see each other more since we get together with our high school friends every couple of years for a mini reunion.
Anyway, Mary is a senior at the same university Paige is going to. Mary also a Hospitality Management major…and she had an internship this summer at The Boarding House! She was an amazing intern and we begged her not to return to college. Not really, but we considered it—that’s how great she was.
So independent of Christy and me, Paige got to know Mary this summer during her time in Pawhuska, and the fact that they are now in the same sorority is just a sweet little turn of events.
I texted a photo of them to Christy, and I think she and I both cried a little.
Or a lot.
Life is funny.
Ladd and I enjoyed the six hour round trip drive (we get a lot of our good talking done on car trips) and when we got back I made him oatmeal cookies because I love him.
I ate one, too…but still. They were really for him.
And okay, I ate two.
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.
