"Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have revealed that despite their incredible success, their top priorities are their marriage and four children.
"Jo and I both made a commitment pretty early on that the two of us are the most important variable," Chip recently told People Magazine. "If we can figure out how to be right as a couple, then obviously we a have a lot better opportunity to be right for our kids."
Joanna added that they both "thrive" when faced with a challenge:
"I think comfortable for us can be a little dangerous," she said. "The second Chip gets content, he gets really restless. It's not about, 'Let's get here and then we'll be happy.' We like the idea of having to wrestle a little bit and figure things out. That's where we thrive the most."
Chip and Jo, who are parents to Drake, 12, Ella, 10, Duke, 9, and Emmie, 7, not only star in HGTV's highest-rated show in the network's history, they're also at the helm of the retail compound Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, Texas, which draws up to 40,000 visitors every week.
However, Chip told People that the road to success hasn't been an easy one; when they were first married, they lived off a wad of cash that Chip kept in his pocket while flipping homes together.
"Nothing has come easy," Chip said. "We've worked so hard to have this beautiful family and this farm - it really does seem like the American dream you heard about growing up."
Chip and Jo are also behind a paint, rug, wallpaper and furniture lines, a real estate company, plus a quarterly magazine, a luxury vacation rental, a soon-to-open restaurant and a New York Times best-selling book with a second in the works, Capital Gaines: Smart Stuff I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff.
Yesterday, the couple revealed that their soon-to-open restaurant will be called "Magnolia Table" - a name embodying the idea that "here everyone has a seat at the table."
Joanna explains, "Since it opened, The Elite Cafe's original slogan had always been 'Where The Elite Meet To Eat.' With this new start, we want our new restaurant's name to be a nod to the original slogan - the idea that 'All are welcome here.' No matter who you are or where you are from, our hope is that when you step into this place, you feel welcome."
"Magnolia Table will be serving breakfast, brunch & lunch, so in addition to Chip's favorite breakfast items, you will also find his famous ham sandwich on the menu," Jo reveals. "A couple of the crowd favorites here at the office are the Farm eggs benedict, the Gaines Brothers Burger, and of course our homemade pies!"
The Gaines, who are sometimes seen praying with their four children on national TV, are also quick to credit the success of their rapidly-growing empire to their Christian faith and God's blessing on their lives.
"Our family has made a commitment to put Christ first, a lifestyle our parents modeled for us very well. They showed us how to keep our marriage and family centered around God," Chip told the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
In a 2016 "I Am Second" video, the couple further shared how their relationship with one another mirrors Christ's love for His people - and how their faith drives everything they do.
"We've always strived to serve and love people from all walks of life, regardless of who you are or what you do," Jo wrote in a recent blog post. "We are in the restoration business. Our job is to find beauty in all things, whether it's an old house or someone's story."
She added, "We are thankful for this ride of a lifetime- we feel God has been with us on every mountain top and in every valley. Grace upon grace He has given us."
