--- title: "17 Parenting Quotes By Ree Drummond" description: "17 Parenting quotes by Ree Drummond. Plus more from Ree Drummond and more Parenting sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7d/ree-drummond-818_children_i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother_773176.png" --- > [I'm a thirty-something ranch wife, mother of four, moderately agoraphobic middle child who grew up on a golf course in the city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother-of-four-moderately/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7d/ree-drummond-818_children_i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother_773176.png) > [“How much do you know about each other?” was Father Johnson’s final question of the day. Marlboro Man and I looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-was-father-johnson-s-final-2/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/ree-drummond-818_knew_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_2654978.jpg) > [“Still, I didn’t want to show up for the meeting empty-handed, so that night at my parents’ house I holed up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-meeting-empty-handed-so-that/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/ree-drummond-818_collage_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1743439.jpg) > [“On the beginning of the eighth run, just after Father Johnson gave us another “Nope. You’re not getting it right, kids…” Mike’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/on-the-beginning-of-the-eighth-run-just-after-father-johnson-gave-us/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/ree-drummond-818_parenting_on-the-beginning-of-the-eighth-run-just_2958777.png) > [“We drove a couple of miles to a pasture near his parents’ house and met up with the other early risers. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/we-drove-a-couple-of-miles-to-a-pasture-near-his-parents-house-and/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/ree-drummond-818_body-weight_we-drove-a-couple-of-miles-to-a-pasture_1478729.jpg) > [“Ms. Altar Guild gently coaxed my father and me toward the door. “It’s time,” she whispered. My stomach fell. What was happening?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/ms-altar-guild-gently-coaxed-my-father-and-me-toward-the-door-it-s/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29f/ree-drummond-818_father_ms-altar-guild-gently-coaxed-my-father-a_476678.jpg) > [“Back in the pens, once the herd was gathered, the men gingerly and methodically guided the calves into a separate gated area.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/back-in-the-pens-once-the-herd-was-gathered-the-men-gingerly-and/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/ree-drummond-818_first-time_back-in-the-pens-once-the-herd-was-gathe_1627856.png) > [“Still, I didn’t want to show up for the meeting empty-handed, so that night at my parents’ house I holed up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-meeting-empty-handed-so-that-2/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/304/ree-drummond-818_parenting_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1935986.png) > [“When I arrived, I immediately saw the mother of an ex-boyfriend, the kind of ex-boyfriend that would make you want to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mother-of-an-ex-boyfriend-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/ree-drummond-818_mother_when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mot_50484.png) > [“What would you do if Ree became gravely ill?” Father Johnson asked Marlboro Man. “Well, sir,” Marlboro Man replied, “I’d take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/what-would-you-do-if-ree-became-gravely-ill-father-johnson-asked/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/ree-drummond-818_parenting_what-would-you-do-if-ree-became-gravely_3076221.png) > [“How much do you know about each other?” was Father Johnson’s final question of the day. Marlboro Man and I looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-was-father-johnson-s-final/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78f/ree-drummond-818_father_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_1971769.png) > [“Come over early tomorrow morning,” Marlboro Man asked over the phone one night. “We’re gathering cattle, and I want you to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/come-over-early-tomorrow-morning-marlboro-man-asked-over-the-phone/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/ree-drummond-818_home-away-from-home_come-over-early-tomorrow-morning-marlbor_325535.png) > [“On the ride back to my house, I asked Marlboro Man all about his parents. Where they’d met, how long they’d been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/on-the-ride-back-to-my-house-i-asked-marlboro-man-all-about-his/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/ree-drummond-818_big-deal_on-the-ride-back-to-my-house-i-asked-mar_1676615.jpg) > [“It’s a girl,” I heard Marlboro Man tell his mom. Nurses dabbed my bottom with gauze. “Ree did great,” he continued. “The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/it-s-a-girl-i-heard-marlboro-man-tell-his-mom-nurses-dabbed-my-bottom/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae3/ree-drummond-818_first-time_it-s-a-girl-i-heard-marlboro-man-tell-hi_1317528.jpg) > [“I opened the front door of my parents’ house the next evening. His starched blue denim shirt caught my eye only seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-opened-the-front-door-of-my-parents-house-the-next-evening-his/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2b/ree-drummond-818_black-boots_i-opened-the-front-door-of-my-parents-ho_125762.png) > [“The wedding rehearsal itself was uneventful until Father Johnson decided it was time to show Marlboro Man and me the proper way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/the-wedding-rehearsal-itself-was-uneventful-until-father-johnson/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/ree-drummond-818_marriage_the-wedding-rehearsal-itself-was-unevent_2221013.jpg) > [“Have you talked about how many children you’d like to have?” “Yes, sir,” Marlboro Man said. “And?” Father Johnson prodded. “I’d like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/have-you-talked-about-how-many-children-you-d-like-to-have-yes-sir-2/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/ree-drummond-818_children_have-you-talked-about-how-many-children_2936534.jpg) ## Other authors on Parenting - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b013/author-jodi-picoult-50321.jpg) Jodi Picoult 117 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/jodi-picoult/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b006/author-cassandra-clare-21529.jpg) Cassandra Clare 95 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/cassandra-clare/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-sherrilyn-kenyon-84925.jpg) Sherrilyn Kenyon 89 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/sherrilyn-kenyon/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b024/author-william-shakespeare-95899.jpg) William Shakespeare 82 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/william-shakespeare/) - [Jarod Kintz 81 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/jarod-kintz/) - [George R.R. Martin 79 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/george-r-r-martin/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-bible-17752.jpg) Bible 68 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/bible/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-ritu-ghatourey-5.jpg) Ritu Ghatourey 64 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ritu-ghatourey/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-mitch-albom-68622.jpg) Mitch Albom 62 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/mitch-albom/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b004/author-anne-lamott-13804.jpg) Anne Lamott 56 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/anne-lamott/) ## More by Ree Drummond > [“What else haven’t you told me?” I thought for a minute. “Actually, yes…there is,” I replied, pausing to consider my words carefully, “I eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/what-else-haven-t-you-told-me-i-thought-for-a-minute-actually-yes/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [Butter, cream, and bacon. That's such a great foundation right there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/butter-cream-and-bacon-that-s-such-a-great-foundation-right-there/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“More and more, I began helping around the homestead. I learned to operate my John Deere mower so I could keep the yard around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/more-and-more-i-began-helping-around-the-homestead-i-learned-to/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I walked proudly out of the church, the new wife of Marlboro Man. When we exited the same doors through which my dad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-walked-proudly-out-of-the-church-the-new-wife-of-marlboro-man-when/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“When we arrived at the wedding at Marlboro Man’s grandparents’ house, I gasped. People were absolutely everywhere: scurrying and mingling and sipping champagne and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-we-arrived-at-the-wedding-at-marlboro-man-s-grandparents-house-i/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“What is it?” I asked, pasting a magazine photo of a football--found in an old Seventeen magazine spread--on my beloved’s collage. “Well, a bunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/what-is-it-i-asked-pasting-a-magazine-photo-of-a-football-found-in-an/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“When I arrived, I immediately saw the mother of an ex-boyfriend, the kind of ex-boyfriend that would make you want to look as good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mother-of-an-ex-boyfriend-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“At times the differences concerned me. Could I ever be with a man who’d never, in his entire life, eaten sushi? Could I, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/at-times-the-differences-concerned-me-could-i-ever-be-with-a-man-who/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“You did not do my homework assignment for me,” he said, grabbing the collage again and looking it over. “I had insomnia,” I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/you-did-not-do-my-homework-assignment-for-me-he-said-grabbing-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I couldn’t bear the thought of a ham sandwich. Imagining milk trickling down my esophagus almost sent me over the edge. Even the saltines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-couldn-t-bear-the-thought-of-a-ham-sandwich-imagining-milk/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Marlboro Man picked me up the next evening, exactly one month before our wedding day. Our evening apart had made the heart grow fonder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-picked-me-up-the-next-evening-exactly-one-month-before/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I’ll send the nurse in here in a minute, okay?” Waste of time , I thought. “Okay, but…do you think there’s anything we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-ll-send-the-nurse-in-here-in-a-minute-okay-waste-of-time-i-thought/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“How come I wasn’t riding around in his middle seat? Was I supposed to initiate this? Was this expected of me? Because I probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/how-come-i-wasn-t-riding-around-in-his-middle-seat-was-i-supposed-to/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I’ll see you in the morning. Oh, and hey…if I don’t answer the door right away it probably means I’m doing some weight training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-ll-see-you-in-the-morning-oh-and-hey-if-i-don-t-answer-the-door/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Minutes later, we were back at the sliding glass door that led inside the house--me, leaning against the glass, Marlboro Man anchoring me there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/minutes-later-we-were-back-at-the-sliding-glass-door-that-led-inside/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ree-drummond/#itemlist", "name": "17 Parenting Quotes By Ree Drummond", "numberOfItems": 17, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a thirty-something ranch wife, mother of four, moderately agoraphobic middle child who grew up on a golf course in the city.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother-of-four-moderately/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7d/ree-drummond-818_children_i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother_773176.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7d/ree-drummond-818_children_i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother_773176.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7d/ree-drummond-818_children_i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother_773176.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm a thirty-something ranch wife, mother of four, moderately agoraphobic middle child who grew up on a golf…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“How much do you know about each other?” was Father Johnson’s final question of the day. Marlboro Man and I looked at each other. We didn’t know everything yet; we couldn’t possibly. We just knew we wanted to be together. Was that not enough? “Well, I’ll speak for myself,” Marlboro Man said. “I feel like I know all I need to know in order to be sure I want to marry Ree.” He rested his hand on my knee, and my heart leapt. “And the rest…I figure we’ll just handle it as we go along.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-was-father-johnson-s-final-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/ree-drummond-818_knew_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_2654978.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/ree-drummond-818_knew_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_2654978.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/ree-drummond-818_knew_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_2654978.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How much do you know about each other?” was Father Johnson’s final question of the day. 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I was sure to find a wealth of applicable material.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-meeting-empty-handed-so-that/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/ree-drummond-818_collage_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1743439.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/ree-drummond-818_collage_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1743439.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/ree-drummond-818_collage_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1743439.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Still, I didn’t want to show up for the meeting empty-handed, so that night at my parents’ house I holed up…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the beginning of the eighth run, just after Father Johnson gave us another “Nope. You’re not getting it right, kids…” Mike’s loud voice echoed throughout the wood-and-marble sanctuary. “ Oh, c-c-c-c-come on, Father Johnson! ” The chuckles turned into laughter. And out of the corner of my eye I saw Tony giving Mike a subtle high five. Thank goodness for Mike. He was hungry. He wanted to get on to the party.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/on-the-beginning-of-the-eighth-run-just-after-father-johnson-gave-us/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/ree-drummond-818_parenting_on-the-beginning-of-the-eighth-run-just_2958777.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/ree-drummond-818_parenting_on-the-beginning-of-the-eighth-run-just_2958777.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/ree-drummond-818_parenting_on-the-beginning-of-the-eighth-run-just_2958777.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On the beginning of the eighth run, just after Father Johnson gave us another “Nope. You’re not getting it…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We drove a couple of miles to a pasture near his parents’ house and met up with the other early risers. I rode along with one of the older cowboys in the feed truck while the rest of the crew followed the herd on horseback, all the while enjoying the perfect view of Marlboro Man out the passenger-side window. I watched as he darted and weaved in the herd, shifting his body weight and posture to nonverbally communicate to his loyal horse, Blue, how far to move from the left or to the right. I breathed in slowly, feeling a sudden burst of inexplicable pride. There was something about watching my husband--the man I was crazy in love with--riding his horse across the tallgrass prairie. It was more than the physical appeal, more than the sexiness of his chaps-cloaked body in the saddle. It was seeing him do something he loved, something he was so good at doing. I took a hundred photos in my mind. I never wanted to forget it as long as I lived.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/we-drove-a-couple-of-miles-to-a-pasture-near-his-parents-house-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/ree-drummond-818_body-weight_we-drove-a-couple-of-miles-to-a-pasture_1478729.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/ree-drummond-818_body-weight_we-drove-a-couple-of-miles-to-a-pasture_1478729.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/ree-drummond-818_body-weight_we-drove-a-couple-of-miles-to-a-pasture_1478729.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We drove a couple of miles to a pasture near his parents’ house and met up with the other early risers. I…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Ms. Altar Guild gently coaxed my father and me toward the door. “It’s time,” she whispered. My stomach fell. What was happening? Where was I? Who was I? At that very moment, my worlds were colliding--the old world with the new, the past life with the future. I felt my dad inhale deeply, and I followed his lead. He was nervous; I could feel it. I was nervous, too. As we took our place in the doorway, I squeezed his arm and whispered, “I love thee.” It was our little line. “I love thee, too,” he whispered back. And as I turned my head toward the front of the church, my eyes went straight to him--to Marlboro Man, who was standing dead ahead, looking straight at me.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/ms-altar-guild-gently-coaxed-my-father-and-me-toward-the-door-it-s/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29f/ree-drummond-818_father_ms-altar-guild-gently-coaxed-my-father-a_476678.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29f/ree-drummond-818_father_ms-altar-guild-gently-coaxed-my-father-a_476678.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29f/ree-drummond-818_father_ms-altar-guild-gently-coaxed-my-father-a_476678.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ms. Altar Guild gently coaxed my father and me toward the door. “It’s time,” she whispered. My stomach fell…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Back in the pens, once the herd was gathered, the men gingerly and methodically guided the calves into a separate gated area. The cows mooed and their babies bawled once they realized the extent of the physical distance between them, and my bottom lip began to tremble in sympathy. Before that moment, I had no hands-on experience of the tug of motherhood and the tangible connection between the hearts of a mother and child, whether it be bovine, equine, or human. And while I knew that what I was witnessing was a rite of passage, a normal part of agriculture, I realized for the first time that this enormous thing that would be happening in a few short months--this motherhood thing--was serious business. It took a morning among cows for me to understand.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/back-in-the-pens-once-the-herd-was-gathered-the-men-gingerly-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/ree-drummond-818_first-time_back-in-the-pens-once-the-herd-was-gathe_1627856.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/ree-drummond-818_first-time_back-in-the-pens-once-the-herd-was-gathe_1627856.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/267/ree-drummond-818_first-time_back-in-the-pens-once-the-herd-was-gathe_1627856.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Back in the pens, once the herd was gathered, the men gingerly and methodically guided the calves into a…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Still, I didn’t want to show up for the meeting empty-handed, so that night at my parents’ house I holed up in my room, resolving not to come out until I completed my Father Johnson “How Well Do You Know Your Fiancé?” collage. I dug around in the upstairs storage room of my parents’ house and grabbed the only old magazines I could find: Vogue. Golf Digest. The Phoebe Cates issue of Seventeen. Perfect. I was sure to find a wealth of applicable material. This is so dumb , I thought just as my bedroom phone rang loudly. It had to be Marlboro Man. “Hello?” I answered. “Hey,” he said. “What’re you doing?” He sounded pooped. “Oh…not much,” I answered. “What about you?” “Well…,” he began, his voice sounding heavy…serious. “I’ve got a little bit of a problem.” I didn’t know everything about Marlboro Man. But I knew enough to know that something was wrong.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-meeting-empty-handed-so-that-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/304/ree-drummond-818_parenting_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1935986.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/304/ree-drummond-818_parenting_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1935986.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/304/ree-drummond-818_parenting_still-i-didn-t-want-to-show-up-for-the-m_1935986.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Still, I didn’t want to show up for the meeting empty-handed, so that night at my parents’ house I holed up…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I arrived, I immediately saw the mother of an ex-boyfriend, the kind of ex-boyfriend that would make you want to look as good as possible if you ran into his mother at a shower when you were several months pregnant. She saw me, smiled politely, and made her way across the room to visit with me. We hugged, exchanged pleasantries, and caught up on what we’d both been doing. As we talked, I fantasized about her reporting to her son, my ex, the next day. Oh, you should have seen Ree. She was positively glowing! You should have seen how wonderful she looked! Don’t you wish you had married her? Deep into our small talk, I made mention of how long it had been since she and I had seen each other. “Well…I did see you recently,” she replied. “But I don’t think you saw me.” I couldn’t imagine. “Oh really?” I asked. “Where?” I hardly ever came to my hometown. “Well,” she continued. “I saw you pulling out of McDonald’s on Highway Seventy-five one morning a few weeks ago. I waved to you…but you didn’t see me.” My insides suddenly shriveled, imagining myself violently shoving breakfast burritos into my mouth. “McDonald’s? Really?” I said, trying my best to play dumb. “Yes,” my ex’s mother replied, smiling. “You looked a little…hungry!” “Hmmm,” I said. “I don’t think that was me.” I skulked away to the bathroom, vowing to eat granola for the rest of my pregnancy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mother-of-an-ex-boyfriend-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/ree-drummond-818_mother_when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mot_50484.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/ree-drummond-818_mother_when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mot_50484.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/ree-drummond-818_mother_when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mot_50484.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I arrived, I immediately saw the mother of an ex-boyfriend, the kind of ex-boyfriend that would make…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What would you do if Ree became gravely ill?” Father Johnson asked Marlboro Man. “Well, sir,” Marlboro Man replied, “I’d take care of her.” “Who’s going to do the cooking in your household?” Marlboro Man smiled. “Ree’s a great cook,” he answered. I sat up proudly in my chair, trying not to remember the Linguine with Clam Sauce and the Marinated Flank Steak and whatever other well-intentioned meals I’d massacred early in our relationship. “What about the dishes?” Father Johnson continued, channeling Gloria Steinem. “See yourself helping out there?” Marlboro Man scratched his chin and paused. “Sure,” he said. “Honestly, these aren’t really things we’ve sat down and talked about.” His voice was kind. Polite. I wanted to crawl in a hole. I wanted to have my gums scraped. I wanted to go fight that huge prairie fire from a while back. Anything would be better than this. “Have you talked about how many children you’d like to have?” “Yes, sir,” Marlboro Man said. “And?” Father Johnson prodded. “I’d like to have six or so,” Marlboro Man answered, a virile smile spreading across his face. “And what about Ree?” Father Johnson asked. “Well, she says she’d like to have one,” Marlboro Man said, looking at me and touching my knee. “But I’m workin’ on her.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/what-would-you-do-if-ree-became-gravely-ill-father-johnson-asked/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/ree-drummond-818_parenting_what-would-you-do-if-ree-became-gravely_3076221.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/ree-drummond-818_parenting_what-would-you-do-if-ree-became-gravely_3076221.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/ree-drummond-818_parenting_what-would-you-do-if-ree-became-gravely_3076221.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What would you do if Ree became gravely ill?” Father Johnson asked Marlboro Man. “Well, sir,” Marlboro Man…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“How much do you know about each other?” was Father Johnson’s final question of the day. Marlboro Man and I looked at each other. We didn’t know everything yet; we couldn’t possibly. We just knew we wanted to be together. Was that not enough? “Well, I’ll speak for myself,” Marlboro Man said. “I feel like I know all I need to know in order to be sure I want to marry Ree.” He rested his hand on my knee, and my heart leapt. “And the rest…I figure we’ll just handle it as we go along.” His quiet confidence calmed me, and all I could think about anyway was how long it would take me to learn how to drive my new lawn mower. I’d never mowed a lawn before in my life. Did Marlboro Man know this? Maybe he should have started me out with a cheaper model. Just then Father Johnson stood up to bid us farewell until our session the following week. I picked up my purse form its spot next to my chair. “Thank you, Father Johnson,” I said, standing up. “Wait just a second,” he said, holding up his hands. “I need to give you a little assignment.” I’d almost made a clean getaway. “I want you both to show me how much you know about each other,” he began. “I want you both to make me a collage.” I looked at him for a moment. “A collage?” I asked. “Like, with magazine pictures and glue?” “That’s exactly right,” Father Johnson replied. “And it doesn’t have to be large or elaborate; just use a piece of legal-size paper as the backdrop. I want you to fill it with pictures that represent all the things you know about the other person. Bring it to your session next week, and we’ll look at them together.” This was an unexpected development.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-was-father-johnson-s-final/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78f/ree-drummond-818_father_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_1971769.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78f/ree-drummond-818_father_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_1971769.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78f/ree-drummond-818_father_how-much-do-you-know-about-each-other-wa_1971769.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How much do you know about each other?” was Father Johnson’s final question of the day. Marlboro Man and I…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 12, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Come over early tomorrow morning,” Marlboro Man asked over the phone one night. “We’re gathering cattle, and I want you to meet my mom and dad.” “Oh, okay,” I agreed, wondering to myself why we couldn’t just remain in our own isolated, romantic world. And the truth was, I wasn’t ready to meet his parents yet. I still hadn’t successfully divorced myself from California J’s dear, dear folks. They’d been so wonderful to me during my years of dating their son and had become the California version of my parents, my home away from home. I hated that our relationship couldn’t continue despite, oh, the minor detail of my breaking up with their son. And already? Another set of parents? I wasn’t ready. “What time do you want me there?” I asked. I’d do anything for Marlboro Man. “Can you be here around five?” he asked. “In the evening…right?” I responded, hopeful. He chuckled. Oh, no. This was going to turn out badly for me. “Um…no,” he said. “That would be five A.M.” I sighed. To arrive at his ranch at 5:00 A.M. would mean my rising by 4:00 A.M.-- before 4:00 A.M. if I wanted to shower and make myself presentable. This meant it would still be dark outside, which was completely offensive and unacceptable. There’s no way. I’d have to tell him no. “Okay--no problem!” I responded. I clutched my stomach in pain. Chuckling again, he teased, “I can come pick you up if you need me to. Then you can sleep all the way back to the ranch.” “Are you kidding?” I replied. “I’m usually up by four anyway. That’s when I usually do my running, as you well know.” “Uh…huh,” he said. “Gotcha.” Another chuckle. Lifeblood to my soul.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/come-over-early-tomorrow-morning-marlboro-man-asked-over-the-phone/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/ree-drummond-818_home-away-from-home_come-over-early-tomorrow-morning-marlbor_325535.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/ree-drummond-818_home-away-from-home_come-over-early-tomorrow-morning-marlbor_325535.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/ree-drummond-818_home-away-from-home_come-over-early-tomorrow-morning-marlbor_325535.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Come over early tomorrow morning,” Marlboro Man asked over the phone one night. “We’re gathering cattle, and…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 13, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the ride back to my house, I asked Marlboro Man all about his parents. Where they’d met, how long they’d been married, what they were like together. He asked the same about mine. We held hands, reflecting on how remarkable it was that both his and my parents had been married in excess of thirty years. “That’s pretty cool,” he said. “It’s unusual nowadays.” And it was. During my years in Los Angeles, I’d always taken comfort in the fact that my parents’ marriage was happy and stable. I was among the few in my California circle of friends who’d come from an intact family, and I felt fortunate that I’d always been able to declare that my parents were still together. I was happy that Marlboro Man could say the same. It gave me some sense of security, an assurance that the man I was falling more in love with every day had parents who still loved each other. Marlboro Man kissed my hand, caressing my thumb with his. “It’s a good sign,” he said. The sun was beginning to set. We rode to my house in peaceful silence. He walked me to the door, and we stopped at the porch step, my favorite porch step in the whole world. Some of the most magical moments had happened there, and that night was no different. “I’m so glad you came today,” he said, wrapping his arms around me in an affectionate embrace. “I liked you being there.” “Thanks for having me,” I said, gladly receiving his soft, sweet kiss on my cheek. “I’m sorry I wrecked with your mom in the car.” “That’s okay,” he replied. “I’m sorry about your car.” “It’s no big deal,” I said. “I’ll be out there at five A.M. tomorrow with a crowbar and get to fixing those tires.” He laughed, then wrapped his arms tighter for a final, glorious hug. “Good night,” he whispered. You beautiful man, you. I floated into the house on clouds, despite the fact that I no longer had a car.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/on-the-ride-back-to-my-house-i-asked-marlboro-man-all-about-his/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/ree-drummond-818_big-deal_on-the-ride-back-to-my-house-i-asked-mar_1676615.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/ree-drummond-818_big-deal_on-the-ride-back-to-my-house-i-asked-mar_1676615.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/ree-drummond-818_big-deal_on-the-ride-back-to-my-house-i-asked-mar_1676615.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On the ride back to my house, I asked Marlboro Man all about his parents. Where they’d met, how long they’d…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 14, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s a girl,” I heard Marlboro Man tell his mom. Nurses dabbed my bottom with gauze. “Ree did great,” he continued. “The baby’s fine.” The doctor opened up a suture kit. I took a few deep breaths, staring at the baby’s striped knit cap, placed on her head by one of the nurses. Marlboro Man spoke quietly to his parents, answering their questions and providing them with details about when we’d gone to the hospital and how it had all gone. I drifted in and out of listening to him talk; I was too busy trying to assimilate what had just happened to me. Then, toward the end of the conversation, I heard him ask his mother a question. “So…what do you do with girls?” he said. His mother knew the answer, of course. Though she hadn’t had any girls of her own, she herself had been the oldest child of a rancher and had grown up being her father’s primary ranch hand throughout her childhood years. She knew better than anyone “what you do with girls” on a working ranch. “The same thing you do with boys,” she answered. I chuckled softly when Marlboro Man relayed his mom’s sentiments. For the first time in our relationship, he was the one in a foreign land.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/it-s-a-girl-i-heard-marlboro-man-tell-his-mom-nurses-dabbed-my-bottom/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae3/ree-drummond-818_first-time_it-s-a-girl-i-heard-marlboro-man-tell-hi_1317528.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae3/ree-drummond-818_first-time_it-s-a-girl-i-heard-marlboro-man-tell-hi_1317528.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae3/ree-drummond-818_first-time_it-s-a-girl-i-heard-marlboro-man-tell-hi_1317528.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It’s a girl,” I heard Marlboro Man tell his mom. Nurses dabbed my bottom with gauze. “Ree did great,” he…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 15, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I opened the front door of my parents’ house the next evening. His starched blue denim shirt caught my eye only seconds before his equally blue eyes did. “Hello,” he said, smiling. Those eyes . They were fixed on mine, and mine on his, for more seconds than is customary at the very beginning of a first date. My knees--the knees that had turned to rubber bands that night four months earlier in a temporary fit of illogical lust--were once again as firm as cooked spaghetti. “Hello,” I answered. I was wearing sleek black pants, a violet V-necked sweater, and spiked black boots--a glaring contrast to the natural, faded denim ensemble he’d chosen. Fashionwise, we were hilariously mismatched. I could sense that he noticed this, too, as my skinny heels obnoxiously clomped along the pavement of my parents’ driveway. We talked through dinner; if I ate, I wasn’t aware of it. We talked about my childhood on the golf course; about his upbringing in the country. About my dad, the doctor; about his dad, the rancher. About my lifelong commitment to ballet; about his lifelong passion for football. About my brother Mike; about his older brother, Todd, who had died when he was a teenager. About Los Angeles and celebrities; cows and agriculture. By the end of the evening, I had no idea what exactly I’d even said. All I knew was, I was riding in a Ford F250 diesel pickup with a cowboy--and there was nowhere else on earth I wanted to be.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-opened-the-front-door-of-my-parents-house-the-next-evening-his/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2b/ree-drummond-818_black-boots_i-opened-the-front-door-of-my-parents-ho_125762.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2b/ree-drummond-818_black-boots_i-opened-the-front-door-of-my-parents-ho_125762.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2b/ree-drummond-818_black-boots_i-opened-the-front-door-of-my-parents-ho_125762.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I opened the front door of my parents’ house the next evening. His starched blue denim shirt caught my eye…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 16, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The wedding rehearsal itself was uneventful until Father Johnson decided it was time to show Marlboro Man and me the proper way to walk to the marriage altar. Evidently, all of Father Johnson’s theological studies and work was destined to culminate in whether or not Marlboro Man and I approached the altar in the perfectly correct and proper way, because he was intent on driving the point home. “At this point,” Father Johnson instructed, “you’ll start to turn and Ree will take your arm.” He lightly pushed Marlboro Man in the proper direction, and the two of us began walking forward. “Nope, nope, nope,” Father Johnson said authoritatively. “Come back, come back.” Marlboro Man’s college friends snickered. “Oh…what did we do wrong?” I asked Father Johnson humbly. Maybe he’d discovered the truth about the collages. He showed us again. Marlboro Man was to turn and begin walking, then wait for me briefly. Then, as I took his arm, he was to lead me to the altar. Wait. Wasn’t that what we just did? We tried again, and Father Johnson corrected us…again. “Nope, nope, nope,” he said, pulling us both by the arm until we were back in our starting position. Marlboro Man’s friends chuckled. My stomach growled. And Marlboro Man kept quietly restrained, despite the fact that he was being repeatedly corrected by his fiancée’s interim minister for something that arguably wasn’t all that relevant to the commitment we were making to spend the rest of our lives together. We went through no fewer than seven more takes, and with each redo I began to realize that this was Father Johnson’s final test for us. Forget the collage assignment--that was small potatoes. Whether we could keep our cool and take instruction when a nice steak dinner and drinks awaited us at the country club was Father Johnson’s real decider of whether or not Marlboro Man and I were mature, composed, and levelheaded enough to proceed with the wedding. And while I knew Marlboro Man would grit his teeth and bear it, I wasn’t entirely sure I could. But I didn’t have to. On the beginning of the eighth run, just after Father Johnson gave us another “Nope. You’re not getting it right, kids…” Mike’s loud voice echoed throughout the wood-and-marble sanctuary. “ Oh, c-c-c-c-come on, Father Johnson! ” The chuckles turned into laughter. And out of the corner of my eye I saw Tony giving Mike a subtle high five. Thank goodness for Mike. He was hungry. He wanted to get on to the party.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/the-wedding-rehearsal-itself-was-uneventful-until-father-johnson/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/ree-drummond-818_marriage_the-wedding-rehearsal-itself-was-unevent_2221013.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/ree-drummond-818_marriage_the-wedding-rehearsal-itself-was-unevent_2221013.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/ree-drummond-818_marriage_the-wedding-rehearsal-itself-was-unevent_2221013.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The wedding rehearsal itself was uneventful until Father Johnson decided it was time to show Marlboro Man…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 17, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Have you talked about how many children you’d like to have?” “Yes, sir,” Marlboro Man said. “And?” Father Johnson prodded. “I’d like to have six or so,” Marlboro Man answered, a virile smile spreading across his face. “And what about Ree?” Father Johnson asked. “Well, she says she’d like to have one,” Marlboro Man said, looking at me and touching my knee. “But I’m workin’ on her.” Father Johnson wrinkled his brow. “How do you and Ree resolve conflict?” “Well…,” Marlboro Man replied. “To tell you the truth, we haven’t really had much conflict to speak of. We get along pretty darn well.” Father Johnson looked over his glasses. “I’m sure you can think of something.” He wanted some dirt. Marlboro Man tapped his boot on the sterile floor of Father Johnson’s study and looked His Excellence straight in the eye. “Well, she fell off her horse once when we went riding together,” he began. “And that upset her a little bit. And a while back, I dragged her to a fire with me and it got a little dicey…” Marlboro Man and I looked at each other. It was the largest “conflict” we’d had, and it had lasted fewer than twelve hours. Father Johnson looked at me. “How did you deal with that, Ree?” I froze. “Uh…uh…” I tapped my Donald Pliner mule on the floor. “I told him how I felt. And after that it was fine.” I hated every minute of this. I didn’t want to be examined. I didn’t want my relationship with Marlboro Man to be dissected with generic, one-size-fits-all questions. I just wanted to drive around in his pickup and look at pastures and curl up on the couch with him and watch movies. That had been going just fine for us--that was the nature of our relationship. But Father Johnson’s questioning was making me feel defensive, as if we were somehow neglecting our responsibility to each other if we weren’t spending every day in deep, contemplative thought about the minutiae of a future together. Didn’t a lot of that stuff just come naturally over time? Did it really serve a purpose to figure it out now? But Father Johnson’s interrogation continued: “What do you want for your children?” “Have you talked about budgetary matters?” “What role do your parents play in your life?” “Have you discussed your political preferences? Your stances on important issues? Your faith? Your religion?” And my personal favorite: “What are you both going to do, long term, to nurture each other’s creativity?” I didn’t have an answer for him there. But deep down, I knew that, somehow, gravy would come into play.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/have-you-talked-about-how-many-children-you-d-like-to-have-yes-sir-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/ree-drummond-818_children_have-you-talked-about-how-many-children_2936534.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/ree-drummond-818_children_have-you-talked-about-how-many-children_2936534.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/ree-drummond-818_children_have-you-talked-about-how-many-children_2936534.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Have you talked about how many children you’d like to have?” “Yes, sir,” Marlboro Man said. “And?” Father…” — Ree Drummond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ree-drummond/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ree-drummond/", "name": "Parenting Quotes by Ree Drummond", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ree-drummond/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7d/ree-drummond-818_children_i-m-a-thirty-something-ranch-wife-mother_773176.png" }, "description": "17 Parenting quotes by Ree Drummond. Plus more from Ree Drummond and more Parenting sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ree-drummond/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ree-drummond/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Parenting", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Ree Drummond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/ree-drummond/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```