'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond credits her pickup truck for keeping marriage strong after nearly three decades
In a new blog post, the Food Network star detailed that some of her favorite date nights with her husband, Ladd Drummond, include hopping in their truck and going for a ride, which they started decades ago when their five children were little and life was busier.
"At the risk of sounding like an old married couple, we love to take drives together," she wrote.
"There's something about the peace of the pickup. That diesel engine is like background music, and we are focused only on each other. No laptops, devices, TVs — it's such a great time to catch up," she wrote.
Ree noted that on their drives, she and her husband talk about whatever is on their minds – which often includes their family and their Oklahoma ranch.
"There's something about the peace of the pickup. That diesel engine is like background music, and we are focused only on each other. No laptops, devices, TVs — it's such a great time to catch up."
As for their destination, it's "different every time."
"Sometimes we stay on the county roads and check on fences or cattle; other times we'll drive east to Pawhuska or west to Ponca City, stopping to get a convenience store Dr. Pepper when we get there."
"Other times Ladd will drive into this pasture or that, to show me an area of a creek that I may not have seen before, or — again — to check on a cow or a fence," Ree wrote.
Ree and Ladd, who have been married for nearly 30 years, are now empty nesters. The couple tied the knot in 1996 and have five adult kids: Alex, Paige, Bryce, Jamar and Todd.
"Now that we're empty nesters, it's not like we don't have lots of time alone at home already. But there's something about the safety and sanctity of the pickup that sparks the very best conversations," she explained.
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