Inside Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Private Life in Texas: They ‘Adore Spending Time Outside as a Family’

Chip and Joanna Gaines were parents to four kids — all under the age of 7 years old — when they bought their Texas farmhouse back in 2012. Situated on 40 acres in the Waco suburb of Crawford, the 1,700-square-foot property was built in 1895, and it needed a lot of work. So the pro flippers did what they do best and spent a year-and-a-half creating a custom abode, only this time the forever home was theirs.

In the 12 years since, Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46, have become international superstars with their DIY shows like Fixer Upper and built a thriving empire with their Magnolia brand. They also welcomed a fifth child and sent their eldest off to college. But through it all, one thing has remained: their beloved farmhouse. With their older children flying farther and farther from the nest, their summers on the farm together have become that much more special .

“ Chip and Joanna adore spending time outside as a family there ,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style . “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!”

That’s no easy task considering the different ages of their brood — Drake, 19, Ella, 17, Duke, 16, Emmie, 14, and Crew, 6 — but the Gaineses are making it happen. “They’re having BBQs every night, making pies and s’mores with all the kids,” shares the source. “They play lawn games, go fishing and horseback riding and throw pool parties!”

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

Jo’s parents, Jerry and Nan Stevens , are often around to help with apple picking and join in the Lone Star State fun. And it’s not unusual for the older kids to have their friends stop by. “Chip and Joanna’s whole motto is, the more the merrier,” notes the source. “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.”

The previous summer, the family spent a lot of hours flipping a lake house , and they were “heartbroken” when they sold it. But the experience gave them some ideas. The Gaines gang — who took a group trip to St. Lucia in August — “just may look for another lake house in the future,” says the source, “but this time, they’d keep it as a family retreat.”