Lifestyle Food Ree Drummond Celebrates Turning 50 with a Surprise Birthday Party Thrown by Her Husband Ladd The Food Network star originally said she "really wanted the whole birthday thing to blow over this year." By Ana Calderone Published on January 7, 2019 01:36 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Happy Birthday, Ree Drummond! The Food Network host had every intention of ignoring her 50th birthday on Sunday—but her husband Ladd wasn’t going to let that happen, and instead threw her a surprise party filled with friends, family and good food. The Pioneer Woman star shared photos on Instagram of the epic bash, which was held at P-Town Pizza, her new restaurant down the road from her Pawhuska, Oklahoma inn, the Boarding House. “I was truly surprised,” she said of the party. “My sister was there from Seattle, my closest high school friends came from San Diego, Dallas, Kansas City, and Atlanta, and my oldest/dearest childhood friends were there, too. Friends and family from Pawhuska showed up, and our Mercantile chefs and bakers made a spread of food I’ll be daydreaming about for the rest of my life.” Ree Drummond Shares the Sweet Nightly Ritual That’s Kept Her Marriage Strong Ree showed off the impressive array of sweets that were prepared including macarons, cream puffs, cookies, dessert cups, and a birthday cake decorated with her signature vintage floral design. Ree Drummond/Instagram To end the night, the guests, which also included the couple’s daughter Paige, “gathered around a fire pit laughing so hard about old stories and memories that our ribs hurt,” she said. Ree Drummond and daughter Paige. Ree Drummond/Instagram The mom of four had originally told Ladd that she “really wanted the whole birthday thing to blow over this year and just pretend it never happened,” but once she was surrounded by all the love from her friends and family, she clearly let her reservations wash away. “I’m so glad the little booger decided not to listen to me,” added Ree. Ree Drummond Says She and Her Husband Ladd Forgot Their Anniversary This Year: It ‘Blew By Us’ WATCH: Ree Drummond and Her Husband Ladd Share How Their Marriage Has Grown Ree and Ladd celebrated 22 years of marriage on Sept. 21. They credit their lasting marriage to a shared faith. “This isn’t the answer for everybody, but we go to church together every Sunday,” she told PEOPLE in 2017. “It’s something that we do no matter what comes up. No matter how tired we are. I’ve seen the times that we’ve slipped away from that, and disaster is lurking in the bushes.”