Joanna Gaines doesn't usually spend her mornings lying facedown on the driveway, but on a recent Tuesday she was nose to the pavement at the request of her 4-year-old son Crew. "I had just gotten ready for work, and he said, 'Mom, I need you to get on your stomach, on the ground, and look at what these ants are carrying,"" says Joanna, breaking into a laugh. "I was like, 'Baby, I can see them from up here!"" But she thought again and decided to go for it. "I'm flat on my belly, and the whole time I'm thinking, I'm too old for this,"" she says. "Then Chip pulls up with the kids and starts honking like, 'Are you okay!?' They all thought I fell-because Mom doesn't normally do that." As someone who has spent the better part of her life avoiding spontaneity, the mom of five now happily welcomes it. "As simple and silly as it is, I was lying there thinking, 'I'm so thankful to be watching this with Crew,"" she says. "I've realized a lot of joy comes from unplanned moments. I'm glad I didn't miss that one." Finding that perspective hasn't come easy. Earlier this year the home-design star began to feel burned-out for the first time. After years of running at high capacity, she felt the pressure of her own expectations weighing on her.
This story is from the November 14, 2022 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 14, 2022 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Meghan's New Moves
Meghan Markle is heading into spring and summer with a tasty new business venture.
LUCKY TO SURVIVE
YEARS AFTER TRAUMATIC ATTACKS, TWO WOMEN WHO GOT AWAY FORM A HEALING
JON BON JOVI - THE UN BREAKABLE
THE BELOVED ROCKER LOOKS BACK ON HIS BAND'S RUNAWAY SUCCESS AND REVEALS HOW HE'S RECOVERING FROM CAREERTHREATENING VOCAL ISSUES
heartbreak, fury &finding happiness
THE POP SUPERSTAR TELLS ALL ON HER DEEPLY PERSONAL NEW ALBUM THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
A Field for Healing
Shortly into their two-hour drive to a San Diego soccer tournament, 12-year-old Tommy Mark turned to his mom, Nikki, and began peppering her with questions about the meaning of life.
TIFFANY HADDISH'S PATH TO PEACE
Every morning Tiffany Haddish wakes up and takes stock.
ETHAN HAWKE - PROUDEST DAD ALIVE
FOR HIS LATEST MOVIE, THE FATHER OF FOUR TOOK ON A NEW ROLE: DIRECTING HIS DAUGHTER MAYA
MELANIE LYNSKEY - Hitting Her Stride
Melanie Lynskey has her eyes on the prize-the Nobel Peace Prize.
JACK WAGNER - GETTING WISER & LETTING GO
Every time Jack Wagner steps onto the set of the Hallmark Channel drama When Calls the Heart, he's reminded of a simpler time before technology was so deeply ingrained in everyday life.
HEALING AFTER HER DAUGHTER'S SUICIDE- I'm So Thankful for the Time We Had❜
Simpkins understood the depths of her daughter's long struggle with depression.