Real-Life Love
Joanna Gaines Gives Rare Glimpse of Her 5 Kids Ahead of Big Family Change
Joanna Gaines is soaking up the summer with her family. The former HGTV star is always on the go, but the Gaines family decided to take a moment to spend some quality time together outside of their home base.
Chip [Gaines] and Joanna, along with their five kids (Drake, Ella, Duke, Emmie, and Crew), have traveled down to Mexico for a relaxing family vacation. The Gaines crew is staying in Sayulita, and Joanna shared rare photos of her children enjoying their trip.
In one photo, two of Joanna and Chip‘s children were lounging in the infinity pool, which had an oceanfront view. Another picture from their family vacation showed their four older kids at the edge of the pool, with the youngest member of the family, Crew, playing in the shallow end. The Fixer Upper alum captured a sweet moment of Crew walking on the beach just a few steps in front of her.
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The Gaines family is in for a season of changes in more ways than one. Not only will summer be turning into fall, but Joanna and Chip’s oldest daughter, Ella, will be headed off to college. Their oldest son, Drake, attends Baylor University.
“It feels like what’s coming this summer will be a tidal wave of emotions, and I am not going to brace; I’m going to stand there and take it with him,” Joanna told People about sending her daughter off to college.
She admitted there’s an “emotional difference” in how she feels about Ella leaving home versus Drake. “With Ella, we love to go to antiques shops, plant shops and go get coffee — that’s our rhythm. I kind of feel like I’m losing a friend in my everyday life,” the mom-of-five revealed.
Despite being emotional about another kid leaving the nest, Joanna is thrilled for her daughter to start this next chapter of her life. “She’s excited about going somewhere and just being known for her,” Joanna said. “She’s like, ‘I don’t want anyone knowing that you’re…I just want to go and be myself.'”
