Joanna Gaines in Studio 1A on Thursday July 15, 2021© NBC

Joanna Gaines shares adorable photo featuring four rarely-seen kids before son Crew's birth: 'One of my favorites'

The Magnolia Network founder and former HGTV star shares five kids with husband Chip Gaines

Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
March 31, 2024

Joanna Gaines is reminiscing about celebrating previous Easter Sundays with all of her kids living under the same roof.

Though the former HGTV star doesn't typically share photos of her five kids with husband Chip Gaines – Drake, 19, Ella Rose, 17, Duke, 15, Emmie Kay, 14, and Crew, five – she commemorated the holiday by posting an adorable throwback photo featuring her eldest four at Easter over a decade ago.

This marks the first time the Gaines family is celebrating without Drake living at home; he graduated from high school almost a year ago and started his freshman year of college last fall.

In honor of the somewhat bittersweet Easter, Joanna took to Instagram and shared a photo taken back around 2010, featuring Drake, Ella Rose, Duke and Emmie Kay at the mall.

In the pic, the doting mom is smiling ear-to-ear, hoisting both Ella and Duke up on her hips, while someone in an Easter Bunny suit has newborn Emmie Kay on their lap, and Drake is standing proudly to the side.

"I sure am glad I hauled the kids to the mall that day [because] this photo is one of my favorites!" Joanna wrote in the caption, and despite her kids' smiles in the family portrait, she added in a hashtag that they "were so scared."

Chip and Joanna, who tied the knot in 2003, welcomed their fifth and youngest child Crew over five years after the photo was taken, on June 21, 2018.

MORE: Joanna Gaines and husband Chip celebrate emotional milestone with exciting new chapter coming soon

MORE: Joanna Gaines shares adorable video of son Crew, 5, helping in the Magnolia offices

She reflected about the age gap between little Crew and his older siblings speaking with People shortly after his birth. "I think it's sweet because they're older now, and I can see them wanting to be a part of this," she explained, adding: "We're all rallying around this baby, which I feel is a sweet gift to our family."

Designers Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines attend AOL Build Presents: "Fixer Upper" at AOL Studios In New York on December 8, 2015 in New York City.© Getty
Joanna and Chip marked their 20th wedding anniversary last year

The Magnolia Homes founder also previously opened up about her firstborn leaving for college, in a personal essay for her magazine Magnolia Journal ahead of his departure.

MORE: Joanna Gaines' husband Chip reveals warning to son Drake ahead of college move: 'Don't even come home'

"In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement," she said at the time, though noted: "Still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own."

© Instagram
Little Crew was front and center at his brother Drake's high school graduation

"I catch glimpses now of what that life will look like and wonder if – or how many times – that might bring me to the floor."

In spite of the emotional change, luckily for the Gaines family, Drake didn't move away too far, as he is enrolled at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where Joanna and Chip have both their main home and business.

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