While Joanna and Chip Gaines have a family large enough that you'd never feel alone, the two are reconciling with the fact that in just a few short years, that unit will get smaller.
The home renovation couple were guests on the Today Show the morning of October 22, a day after they headed a panel for PaleyFest NY, and spoke about their children.
Joanna, 45, and Chip, 49, are the proud parents of children Drake, 19, Ella, who just turned 18, Duke, 16, Emmie, 14, and the youngest, six-year-old Crew. Take a look at Ella's birthday celebration from this past weekend in the video below...
Drake is already a student at Baylor University, having entered his sophomore year this fall, and Ella will graduate from high school next spring after having just hit her milestone age.
The pair spoke with hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie about the idea of not only Drake living away from the family home, but the fact that in a matter of just four years, even their three middle kids will either leave for college or graduate as well.
"It's crazy, because I'm realizing in this new season of life, the next four years, all four of my older kids will all be in or out of college. So we're in this new season where I'm really trying to embrace every moment and hang on."
© Courtesy of The Paley Center For Media"But that first one was hard," she continued. "My second one, Ella, she's graduating, this is her senior year. I can't even…I just look at her and I wanna cry. Because I see her as this little girl, I'm like, 'How are you already 18 years old?'"
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Joanna turned to her husband sitting beside her and told him to get ready for an emotional ride with her as their kids grow up and spread their wings. "For me, I'm like the next four years…'Good luck, bud.' Because it's gonna be rough."
© InstagramChip even joked that she's going to "be a mess" when it comes to their kids leaving the family home, although they also quipped that their youngest is already "ruling the roost" in their home.
"He's got this amazing four grandparents, two on each side," Chip added. "And he's got four older siblings, which you think would be miserable, that they would always be at him. Instead, they dote on him," and Joanna continued: "He is spoiled."
© InstagramThey also discussed the prospect of the family patriarch turning 50 next month, with the Magnolia co-founder admitting he feels "torn" about the idea, saying he felt like "Peter Pan in my mind, never turning 50."
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"I've never been happier, you've got these beautiful kids, all developing big, beautiful personalities," he gushed. "But then, my knees ache. The other day I jumped off the back of my truck, which is a really normal thing for a guy like myself to do. And then for a week, I was buggin'."
© InstagramJoanna sweetly countered: "I think he looks great, I think overall you feel great, and I feel like he's in his prime. You're gonna kill it, you make it look great."
