Chip and Joanna Gaines have opened up about why they decided to end "Fixer Upper" after five seasons and said they "never would have imagined in a million years that God would have had this kind of a journey" planned for their family.
In a video posted on the Magnolia Blog, Chip and Joanna said that their decision to end "Fixer Upper" -- which has become one of the highest-rated shows in HGTV history since the pilot first aired in May 2013 -- is "bittersweet."
"I remember it like it was yesterday, five years ago, roughly, we were contacted by a production company who wanted to do a show about us here in the beautiful hometown of Waco, Texas. One thing led to another, and of course, a pilot was born called 'Fixer Upper,'" Chip said.
"This journey has been indescribable, the opportunity of a lifetime. Our family has grown up before our eyes on national television, which is an experience I can tell you is beautiful, is wonderful for so many reasons."
Joanna said, "This is one of those - it's such a bittersweet time for us, because the last five years - this has been our life, this show, the crew here - these homes, we've gotten to renovate for these beautiful families, it's become such a big part of our lives, y'all have become such a big of our lives, you've invited us into our living room. The support that we felt..we're just honored. We can't believe we get to be a part of all this."
However, Jo explained that she and Chip always want to be "mindful" of the question, "what's the season for us?"
"I think for awhile now we've felt like season 5 was going to be our final for this chapter," she said. "We started out as business owners, our beautiful business here in Waco needs our attention. We need to pour into that as much as we can."
Jo said she and Chip are looking forward to spending more time with each other and their children - Drake, 12, Ella, 10, Duke, 9, and Emmie Kay, 7
"We are a family, our beautiful children are growing up so quickly - Drake is almost a teenager," she said. "The idea that we get to kind of step back and get a fresh vision, get some rest, but also hunker down with our kiddos is something that we're excited about, but also sad that this chapter in our lives is coming to an end."
An emotional Chip reassured fans that the family is "not going anywhere."
"At the end of the day, you can find us here in Waco, Texas," he said. "Of course, you can always come visit us at the Silos. You never know, you might see us at a local little league game in town with the kids.
"We want to take this time to really say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for letting our family become a part of your family," he continued. "The experience has been like nothing we could've ever predicted. [We] never would've imagined in a million years that God would've had this kind of a journey for Jo and I and our family and our beautiful business here in Waco."
In addition to starring in "Fixer Upper" Chip and Joanna are behind a slew of Magnolia business, which includes a real estate company and a retail compound plus paint, wallpaper and furniture lines. They also have a quarterly magazine, a soon-to-open restaurant and a New York Times bestselling book, with a second, Capital Gains: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff, due out Oct. 17.
They first announced "Fixer Upper" was ending on their blog: "It is with both sadness and expectation that we share the news that season 5 of Fixer Upper will be our last," they wrote Tuesday. "While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with. Our family has grown up alongside yours, and we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. How bittersweet to say goodbye to the very thing that introduced us all in the first place."
