Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Motto Is ‘the More the Merrier’ While Spending Time With Their Kids

Chip and Joanna Gaines are cherishing every moment spent with their five children this summer in their Waco, Texas, farmhouse.

“Chip and Joanna’s whole motto is, the more the merrier,” an insider told Life & Style on Tuesday, August 13. “Their eldest two are pretty much out of the house, and the three eldest are driving, so Chip and Joanna enjoy any form of face-to-face time they can get.”

Chip and Joanna just recently dropped their eldest son, Drake, off at college. But before they moved him into his apartment for the semester, the family made plenty of memories together at their gorgeous estate. The Fixer Upper couple are also parents to kids Ella Rose, Duke, Emmie Kay and Crew.

“Chip and Joanna adore spending time outside as a family there,” the insider added. “They’re trying to have a cool, fun house and create good backyard vibes so that their kids want to be home with them as they get older!”

This summer, the family of seven enjoyed barbecues, baking pies and going fishing, per the source. The Magnolia Network stars purchased their property in 2012. They’ve shared so many incredible moments with their kids in the home from birthday parties to holidays and celebrating new business ventures.

The insider revealed that Chip and Joanna are interested in expanding their property portfolio with another home, noting that the couple, who have been married since 2003, “just may look for another lake house in the future.”

The TV stars would keep the home as a “family retreat” unlike the other lake house they renovated and sold in the past. While the possibilities are endless for Chip and Joanna and their ever-expanding empire, the doting mom admitted that taking Drake back to school this summer was a very emotional experience for her.

“Second year in college … saying goodbye doesn’t get easier,” the mom of five captioned a photo on Instagram of her hugging her eldest child. “Lots of love to all the parents sending their kids off to school this season.”

“It’s so hard for him too. Once he comes home a few times, it seems to get easier,” one person commented on the touching post, while another wrote, “What a sweet moment captured!”

But Jo has been keeping herself busy on the farm since then, revealing that it was honey harvesting day for the bees on Monday, August 12. She called it her “favorite day of the year on the farm” and shared plenty of photos and videos of her family helping out.

In another photo, Joanna showed her setup for the honey extraction, which included bee-keeping suits and plenty of jars to store the honey.

“I feel like I’m setting up for my birthday party but it’s not my birthday and there’s no party BUT it is honey harvesting day on the farm which feels just as exciting!!” she told her Instagram followers of the exciting festivities.