THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING

Behind the scenes of our newest Fixer Upper in the heart of the Rocky Mountains

- JOANNA GAINES

You've likely heard me say that Chip and I are homebodies. It's as true today as it's ever been, and our kids are no different. There are very few places any of us would rather be than home. But as long as the kids have been school-aged, we've made spring break our annual family getaway.

For those of us in Central Texas, there are generally two camps of spring breakers—those who seek the beach and those who hit the slopes. In our house, the vote was unanimous. Six hands shot up at the promise of a winter retreat, so off we went in search of snow. It was, by the way, music to Chip's ears since he grew up skiing the hilltops that bordered his hometown (you can read more about that on page 32). After a few years of trialing different ski towns, we landed in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

Slowly but surely, those snow-capped mountains carved themselves into the rhythm of our family. Going back year after year has somehow come to define who we are and what we value: home, but also the perspective we gain away from home, chicken noodle soup on the stove, ski runs that make your limbs sore, unfinished puzzles on the table, the crackle and pop of a roaring fire, watching the snow fall slowly from the sky.