Ree Drummond Shares Her Favorite Family Memories of Ladd for Father’s Day

Ladd Drummond probably won’t be the one suggesting everyone sit down and scroll through old family photos this Father’s Day. He has cattle to check, dogs to load into the truck, a grill that may or may not need his attention, and a general cowboy aversion to too much fuss. But Ree Drummond has never been afraid of a little fuss, especially when it involves her husband and the kids and a photo from 1997 that can knock the wind right out of a person.

The photo in question is of Ladd holding baby Alex, back when he and Ree were still new to the whole parenting business. Ladd didn’t grow up with sisters, so the baby-girl years were uncharted waters, but he found his footing quickly. “Alex made it easy for him to fall in love with fatherhood, and Paige after that,” Ree says. “When the boys came along, they were just the icing on the cake.”

Since then, the Drummond family memories have piled up in all the best ways: wedding dances, football games, college drop-offs, ranch mishaps, dogs riding shotgun, and now baby Sofia stealing her Pa-Pa’s heart. So in honor of all of it—and in honor of Ladd—here are some favorite Drummond family memories to look back on this Father’s Day.

Man cradling a newborn baby in a warm, sunlit room.Alex Drummond
1
Holding Baby Alex

Before there were wedding toasts, college drop-offs, and children taller than their parents, there was Ladd holding newborn Alex in 1997. Ree has said he was especially new to the world of baby girls, but Alex helped him fall head over boots for fatherhood.

Image (3) 467806124_dfdc78a228.jpg for post 2189Ree Drummond
2
When Todd Needed His Dad

When Todd was little, a morning of working cattle ended with a burned hand, a trip to the ER, and a bandage that was nearly as big as his arm. It wasn’t funny in the moment, of course; ranch life can go from ordinary to scary in about half a second. But once Todd was home, Ladd was right there beside him, giving him the comfort only a dad can give.

ladd drummond’s best dad momentsAshley Alexander
3
Dancing with Alex at Her Wedding

Ladd’s dance with Alex at her wedding was already going to be emotional, and then they went ahead and danced to “Cowgirls Don’t Cry.” That was pretty much all it took! Between the song, the ranch-girl history, and the fact that Ladd had recovered enough from his accident to be there, it was a lot for everyone’s tear ducts.

bryce drummond family football gameRee Drummond / Instagram
4
Cheering on Bryce

Ladd logged a lot of miles cheering on Bryce during his college football years, from North Texas to Oklahoma State. At one OSU game, he and Ree were in full orange for a double-overtime nail-biter that lasted nearly five hours, which is a lot of football even for people who love football. But that’s what dads do: they show up, wear the team colors, and survive the blood pressure spikes.

ree and ladd drummond take son todd to collegeRee Drummond
5
Dropping Todd Off at College

When Ree and Ladd dropped Todd off at college, it marked the end of having kids at home full-time. There was dorm shopping, goodbye hugging, and the general emotional condition of realizing your youngest child is suddenly not so little. Ladd was right there for the whole thing, including the part where everyone had to actually leave.

couple dancing at a wedding receptionCaroline Lima Photography
6
Ladd’s Second Father-Daughter Dance

Paige’s wedding was full of flowers, twinkle lights, and plenty of personal touches. But her dance with Ladd to “That Girl Is a Cowboy” deserves its own little spot in the family scrapbook. It was one of those father-daughter moments that felt especially fitting for the two of them—a cowboy dad dancing with his cowgirl daughter to a song that could have been written with them in mind.

Portrait of Sofia LaddRee Drummond
7
Playing with Sofia

Ladd’s grandpa era is already off to a very strong start. In one recent photo, Sofia was crawling all over him in her pink pajamas while he sat on the floor and let her use him as a jungle gym. For a guy who spends his days dealing with cowboys, he seems perfectly content to be bossed around by one tiny girl!

ree and ladd save a calf on the ranchRee Drummond / Instagram
8
Taking Care of Bessie Lou

Ladd is a dad to five kids, a Pa-Pa to Sofia, and apparently, a part-time father figure to baby calves in need. When he found Bessie Lou weak and freezing during a winter storm, he brought her into the feed truck to warm up, then helped nurse her through those first rough days. He even built a special pen for her outside the house so he could keep a close eye on her.

ree drummond family christmas 2025Ree Drummond
9
Wearing the Christmas Pajamas

Ladd may not seem like the type to plan a coordinated Christmas pajama moment, but he does seem like the type to go along with it for the people he loves. Ree has gotten him into matching family pajamas for years—and now Sofia is part of the tradition, too. At a certain point, once your sweatshirt says “Pa-Pa,” resistance is probably futile.

ladd drummond’s best dad momentsRee Drummond
10
Being a Dog Dad

The ranch dogs have Ladd wrapped around their muddy little paws, but he doesn’t seem to mind much! He’ll give them rides in the truck, wrestle with them on the ground, and let the bassets climb all over him like this is a perfectly normal workplace arrangement.

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