Ree Drummond Was Left 'Dying And Crying' After A Holiday Throwback With Her Son Todd

Like many parents, celebrity chef Ree Drummond is ecstatic when the holidays come around, as it means more time with her children and family. While remembering the recent passing of her father-in-law, Chuck Drummond, the Pioneer Woman cheffed up a feast for her family this past Thanksgiving (via People). Though this time of year may start to look different as her grown-up kids start families of their own, it was still a lively gathering: Drummond's daughter, Paige, was present at this year's Thanksgiving feast, along with the celebrity chef's foster son, Jamar, and her youngest son, Todd.

Todd hasn't quite left the nest yet, but he already has concrete plans next year to play football at the University of South Dakota, according to a Pioneer Woman blog post. He still has a few more months until freshman year starts, but that hasn't prevented Drummond from getting emotional this holiday season, as revealed by a touching moment she shared with her audience on a recent episode of her Food Network show.

Drummond posted a snippet from a "Pioneer Woman" episode filmed about 10 years ago, featuring her and a young Todd leaving out treats for Santa. While placing a drink at the base of the family Christmas tree, Todd can be heard saying, "Santa's gonna love all this!" After setting a tray of cookies down, Drummond turns to her son, asking him if he will come back home to visit in the future to continue this tradition. Todd then is heard giving his mom his word — of course he'll come back and visit.

In the caption of this nostalgic post, Drummond states that this moment had her "dying and crying," adding, "[it] breaks my heart considering he's about to leave for college." She wasn't the only one getting teary, as her fans marveled at how time has flown in the comments. "Can't believe you're on your last child and I've been watching you since day 1!" one viewer said, while another said they felt like they were "cutting onions" thinking about how they've watched Drummond's kids "grow up on TV." Still, a promise is a promise, and one thing seems certain: We can all expect Todd back on the ranch this Christmas Eve, helping his mom lay out cookies for Santa.