It's a bittersweet moment for Joanna and Chip Gaines. Not only are they making big moves with their TV career relating back to the show that launched them to fame, Fixer Upper, they're also fondly remembering their oldest daughter Ella Gaines, who celebrated her 19th birthday on Monday, October 20. The teen is marking her first birthday since leaving the family home in Waco, Texas for college this fall. While her parents haven't shared where she's going to school, they've indicated it's far from home and closer to the east coast.
For Joanna, 47, and Chip, 50, however, October is already a time of big change, as on the day of their daughter's birthday, it was also announced that they're bringing back their iconic Fixer Upper franchise with a brand new spin-off – Fixer Upper: Mountain House, which will see them tackle renovations on a mountain house in a brand new state outside of Texas.
While the couple teased on their social media page that they will hit up several states over the course of the show, a press release from Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that the very first will be Colorado. The three-part limited series will debut on December 9 on Magnolia Network and HGTV, and be the first Fixer Upper project outside of their home state.
"In Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House, Chip and Joanna take on a 1960s mountain property in Colorado, tackling unique design and construction hurdles that come with high-altitude living," the release states. "Together, they blend original mid-century details with European-inspired finishes, transforming the home into their own timeless family retreat nestled in the Rockies."
Joanna touched on how much Colorado has become a haven and beloved holiday getaway for their family, which also includes sons Drake, 20, Duke, 17, and Crew, seven, plus their younger daughter Emmie, 15, especially for "ski trips" and "spring breaks" for the family-of-seven. "Colorado has come to be a special place for our family."
© Nick KelleyShe continued: "And somewhere in-between ski trips and spring breaks over the last decade, a dream took root to one day carve out a place of our own. While taking Fixer Upper out of state meant we were in for a steep learning curve, our hope is that this home would far outlast us, and we can't wait to share it with you."
© InstagramWorking on the show will surely serve as a way for Joanna and Chip to reconnect with their family values as well, especially as they come to terms with having one less person in the house. In August, the mom-of-five captured some of the feelings associated with bidding farewell to your kids in a lengthy social media post.
© Nick Kelley"This season already feels like one big, breathless surrender. Lord, how do I hold them close while also letting go?," she penned. "My kids and I may have been made for each other, but I also believe they were made for more. More experiences, more knowledge, more growing than could ever happen within our walls."
