‘The Pioneer Woman’ Star Ree Drummond Says She and Ladd Are Preparing to Be Empty Nesters: ‘Is This What It’s Gonna Be Like?’
As Ree Drummond prepares to send the youngest of her five children off to college in 2023, she shared a short video and a question for fans about what empty nester life with her husband Ladd might be like. Many of her followers extended support and advice in reply. But a few couldn’t get over what they thought they heard her call Ladd in the clip.
Todd Drummond is going to the University of South Dakota in 2023
The youngest Drummond joined the high school football team and announced he’ll continue playing once he goes to college. Todd will be playing for the South Dakota University Coyotes in 2021 (People).
The Pioneer Woman star wrote about her youngest son’s achievements in what she called “a Todd Drummond appreciation post” on Instagram, sharing that he worked hard and “wound up throwing for 3,600+ yards and 50 touchdowns” in 2021.
“I’m not sharing that to brag, but instead to illustrate the heart this kid has for football,” she noted and concluded, “I couldn’t be prouder of my youngest kid.”
Ree Drummond is preparing for an empty nest with her husband Ladd
Counting down the days until her youngest departs the family ranch, Ree Drummond shared a video of herself in the kitchen with Ladd with fans on Instagram.
In the short clip, she’s standing at the stove when he approaches and pokes her. “We’re seven days away from an empty nest,” she captioned the post, “is this what it’s gonna be like?”
Fans in her comments offered words of support for the couple, who married in 1996. One follower wrote, “You will be ok!!! Your nest will never really be fully empty.”
Others shared some of their own experiences. “Yep … my husband is always hanging around the kitchen, now that the kids are gone and he is retired,” one person wrote. Another commenter offered a silver lining, saying, “Empty Nest is the best thing!! It’s been [nine] years for us, and it keeps getting better.”
And a few shared their surprise over what they heard Ree call Ladd when someone asked, “Did she call him ‘Daddy’?”
Ree Drummond asked for fans to wish her and Ladd luck in their empty nest journey
In November 2022, Ree Drummond shared that she and Ladd were starting to prepare for their youngest child’s departure. “Todd’s leaving for college in five weeks,” she wrote on Instagram, noting that she and Ladd were “actively trying to establish new activities together as the empty nest approaches.”
She offered that they had a newly-established ritual of taking evening walks together. “Well, we’ve done it the past two evenings. But still … I couldn’t wait to share the news,” she added.
According to Ree’s post, they picked up trash while they worked. She said her husband, who has a fan base of his own, likes to feel like he’s working and concluded with a request: “Friends, wish us luck.”
