Lifestyle Food Ree Drummond and Husband Ladd Are Preparing for an 'Empty Nest' as Son Todd Soon Heads to College "Friends, wish us luck," the Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond joked By Sam Burros Sam Burros Sam Burros is a writer, producer, and cook working with the Food and Lifestyle team at PEOPLE. Prior to working with PEOPLE, he was an editorial fellow for Food Network, a reporter for Heritage Radio Network, and a recipe tester for Alison Roman's third cookbook Sweet Enough. Before making the pivot to food media, Burros studied theatre at NYU Tisch School of the Arts where he met artistic collaborators in theatre, film, and television with whom he created Miss Jordan's Spring 2020 Production, available to stream on Broadstream. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 2, 2022 01:17PM EST Photo: Ree Drummond/Instagram Ree Drummond and her husband Ladd Drummond are preparing for an "empty nest." On Wednesday, the Pioneer Woman, 53, shared a quick selfie with her husband, 53, on Instagram while taking an evening walk. "Ladd and I are actively trying to establish new activities together as the empty nest approaches," she wrote. "So we take evening walks now!" She jokes the two have only been taking walks together for "the past two evenings," but she was too excited to share their newfound activity. Ree and Ladd have to prepare for empty nester syndrome a little earlier than they may have anticipated. In the holiday 2022 issue of The Pioneer Woman Magazine, Ree wrote, "It's looking pretty likely that Todd will be leaving for college in January, a semester early." And on Wednesday, the Food Network star confirmed their youngest son, 18, is "leaving for college in just five weeks." Ree says her and Ladd have been picking up trash around their property that blew in from Kansas on these walks so "Ladd can tell himself he's working and not just walking." She then jokes, "Friends, wish us luck. 😂" Ree Drummond Celebrates Thanksgiving at Her Late Father-in-Law's House for 'Old Time's Sake' Todd's headed off to the University of South Dakota where he'll continue his football career with the Coyotes in the fall. In November, the youngest Drummond played his last high school football game and was shown an outpouring of support from his sister, Alex Drummond Scott. The 25-year-old shared a touching Instagram story in honor of her little brother. "When your BABY bro plays his last HS football game," Alex wrote in the post, alongside a photo of the siblings hugging on the football field. "I'm so proud of you." Unfortunately, Ree and Ladd won't be as close to the games as they were when Todd was playing for his high school team, the Pawhuska High Huskies. Ree Drummond Visits Son Bryce for His First College Football Game This Season Ree Drummond Instagram In The Pioneer Woman's fall 2022 issue, which was dedicated to Todd and his football career, Ree wrote that "there is nothing more exciting and thrilling than Friday-night football games in a small town," but also "nothing more stressful for the mom of a quarterback than Friday night football games!" In the magazine's most recent holiday issue, the Food Network star shared that "instead of watching the games from the press box as he has done for years," her husband "joined the coaching staff and stood on the sidelines to help wherever he could." With Todd's absence looming on the horizon, Ree wrote she "will be savoring the holiday season in all of its crowded, busy, messy, chaotic, crazy-fun glory."