Ree Drummond breaks silence on brother Michael's death: 'My first friend and buddy'

Ree Drummond broke her silence after it was confirmed that her brother, Michael Smith, had died.

"It isn’t possible to sum up the life of someone as perfectly wonderful as my brother Michael, so right now I won’t try," the "Pioneer Woman" and cookbook author wrote. "He was seventeen months older than me, my first friend and buddy, and I’m so grateful for over 50 years of photos and memories."

The four photos she shared include a black-and-white image of them as toddlers sitting in a wagon together. Another black-and-white image shows them a little bit older and sitting on the hood of an Oldsmobile. The third shows them kissing each other as babies. Finally, she concluded the series of images with what appears to be a photo of Michael as an adult.