Joanna Gaines was feeling nostalgic over the weekend as the HGTV star got ready to celebrate her daughter Ella’s milestone birthday.
The Fixer Upper star took to Instagram to share a new home video from inside their family home in Waco, Texas, which had been decorated with an array of helium balloons and a birthday banner on the eve of Ella’s big day.
Ella turned 18 on October 20, and was treated to a huge pile of presents neatly displayed on the dining room table, which can be viewed on the footage below.
In the caption, the proud mom wrote: “One more sleep til our Ella is 18! My how time flies,” alongside a tearful eyes emoji.
Joanna and her husband Chip are proud parents to five children, and Ella is their oldest daughter.
The birthday will no doubt be bittersweet for the couple, as this time next year, she will likely be living away from home at college like her older brother.
Their firstborn, Drake, 19, is in his sophomore year of college at Baylor University. They are also parents to Duke, 16, Emmie, 14, and Crew, six.
It’s birthday season for the Gaines family too, as just next month on November 14, Joanna will be marking her own milestone birthday when she turns 50.
Joanna and Chip rarely share photos of their children on social media but over the years, they have given insights into their life away from the spotlight, and what kind of parents they are.
Back in 2018, during a chat with People, Chip admitted he can be strict, while Joanna is more laid back than she thought she would be. Chip said: “I grew up in an environment that was pretty much ‘back by dark’ — [my parents] didn’t generally know what we were doing, and it was all good, clean fun. So I thought, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be a wild parent.’
“And when I got to be a parent, I don’t know what it is about it … I feel a little bit like a drill sergeant sometimes. Some elements of my personality, as a parent, I’m not real crazy about.”
Joanna added: “It’s funny, I’m a little more laid back than I thought I’d be. [There are] certain things that I really care about, but I think the funny part, with Chip, is just the video games, the TV. That’s where he kinda gets a little strict. It’s, ‘You go play outside.'”
Joanna and Chip have been married for 21 years and celebrated their wedding anniversary on May 31.
Joanna took to Instagram to mark the special day, writing: “Twenty One Years. You’ve always had a way of taking a thought or a quiet dream I’ve tucked away, and helped me step into it and make it a reality.
“What a journey, a wild and crazy (yet somehow peaceful) ride. So grateful to God for this life we get to share together.”
She accompanied the post with two photos of them in New York City taken 21 years apart, and added: “NYC 2024 – NYC 2003 @chipgaines.”