The media attention on the wedding of Jenna Bush and Henry Hager peaked our curiosity about the marriages of children of other sitting presidents.

Of the 23 weddings of children of presidents in the oval office, as of 2008, only nine weddings took place in the White House.

Full Article:
     Marriages of Children of Sitting Presidents

Related:
     Nellie Grant and Algernon Sartoris Marriage Profile
     Jenna Bush and Henry Hager Marriage Profile

Just a couple months after the death of his beloved wife Sally, Eddy Arnold died on May 8, 2008.

Talking with columnist Beverly Keel, their grandson, Shannon Pollard, noted that "He [Eddy] was just obviously smitten with her [Sally], very proud of the fact that they were together so long. He was a great lover of romantic music and always wanted to sing a good love song. She was truly the inspiration for singing those types of songs.”
Source: Beverly Keel, "Arnold's family left with fond memories", Tennessean.com, 5/8/08.

Read about how Sally and Eddy met, how he proposed, and more.

Full Article:
     Sally and Eddy Arnold Marriage Profile

Related:
     Why Long Term Marriages Last

Even though many relationship and sleep experts warn against having a television in your bedroom, many couples make the decision to have a TV in their bedroom anyway.

We found two relationship experts with a different take on the issue:

Dr. Pam: " "The answer is that having a TV in your bedroom will only affect your intimacy if you let it. On the whole, I think a wise couple will make their bedroom a comfortable and sensual “love zone" that reflects their relationship."

Debbie Magids, Ph.D: "TV may very well be a relationship enhancer. Couples have bonded over favorite shows they watch together, every night or every week -- no matter what! It’s a chance to snuggle up in bed and make a pact to have alone time: The phone doesn’t get answered and the emails pile up on the computer in the next room."

If you've made the decision to have a television in your bedroom, here are ways to make sure that the bedroom TV doesn't hurt your marriage.

Full Article:
     Bedroom TV -- Yes or No?

Related:
     Feng Shui in Your Bedroom
     Italian Expert Says Kick the Television Out of Your Bedroom
     Too Much TV Linked to Insomnia in Adults and Children

Photo: Peter Dazeley / Getty Images
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On May 2, 2008, Mildred Loving, died at her home in Central Point, Virginia. Mildred died from pneumonia at the age of 68.

She is survived by two children, eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. Her husband Richard died in 1975 in an automobile accident after being hit by a drunk driver. One of their sons died in 2000.

Their marriage changed America in 1967 when the Supreme Court decided in their favor and overturned state laws that prohibited interracial marriages.

Full Article:
     Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving Marriage Profile

Related:
     NYT: Mildred Loving, Who Battled Ban on Mixed-Race Marriage, Dies at 68
     1967: The Loving vs. Virginia Case
     More on Interracial Marriages

MSNBC reported "Nearly a third of U.S. parents know surprisingly little about typical infant development ... Even when the researchers controlled for factors like the mother's age, education, income and mental state, they still found a significant number of parents with unrealistic expectations about their baby's development."

From posts we see on the Marriage Forums and from questions in our email, we think many couples have similar unrealistic expectations about marriage. More couples need to experience premarital education or marriage education.

We volunteer as presenters on Engaged Encounter Weekends because we believe in the importance of premarital education.

In their article, Ten Things Teens Should Know About Marriage, David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead of Rutgers University wrote, "Research on the effectiveness of premarital education programs, although limited, shows quite positive results."

Full Article:
     1 in 3 Parents Lacks Knowledge About Babies

Related:
     Lower Your Odds for Divorce Before You Marry
     Expectations in Marriage
     Most Widely Used Premarital Inventories
     10 Weeks to a Better Marriage Relationship
     Pediatrics at About.com

National Pet Week begins today so it seems appropriate to write about pets and marriage. "Pet or the wife" is the subject line for an email I received last week.

"My Question is to you ... would I be wrong to give up my dog for a wife that had accepted him from the start. I feel that this is wrong for me to give up a part of my life for the past 5 years. Bob & Sheri, he is like family to me. And there are no kids involved."

A few of the questions I asked the husband were:

• Do you know why your wife wants to get rid of the dog?
• Is the dog aggressive towards her or other people?
• Does the dog mark his territory in your home?
• Does the dog shed a lot of hair in the house?
• Does he bark a lot?
• Do you allow the dog to get in bed with you?

The wife could have valid reasons for wanting the dog gone, but there could be ways the couple could compromise on the issue if they both want their marriage to work.

It is a red flag that the husband is even considering ending his marriage over this issue, but the results of our poll on the impact of pets on a marriage support the belief that a marriage between someone who loves pets and someone who could care less about critters will probably have problems.

Poll:
     Has pet ownership created problems in your marriage? Vote! | See Poll Results

Full Article:
     Marriage and Pets

Today we learned of the death of a dear man, Asa Syufy, husband of Franny Syufy, the Guide to Cats here at About.com

We had the joy of meeting Asa a couple times and the love he and Franny showed for one another was a true reflection of how wonderful a long-lasting marriage can be.

Liz Carpenter, political humorist, speechwriter, press secretary, author, lecturer, and wife for 30 years to reporter Leslie Carpenter wrote about love in her memoir, Getting Better All the Time.

"Love is a moment and a lifetime. It is looking at him across a room and feeling that if I don't spend the rest of my life with him, I'll have missed the boat.

Love is working together, laughing together, growing together. It is respect for each other and the people each cares about, however difficult it is sometimes to like his kinfolk or his friends.

Love is wanting to shout from the rooftops the successes, little and big of one another. Love is wanting to wipe away the tears when failure comes.

Love is liking the feel of each other. It is wanting to have children together because they are the exclamation point of love.

Love is laughter, especially in the middle of a quarrel."

Our hearts go out to Franny and her family.

One of our favorite cartoon strips is "Pickles" by Brian Crane. "Pickles" depicts three generations of an American family with a focus on grandpa (Earl) and grandma (Opal). Brian said in an online forum that the inspiration for the characters of Earl and Opal is from his wife's parents, "who have that sort of surface bickering but have that deep, abiding love underneath."

The last few days Brian has been exploring the impact of losing one's taste buds. Today's cartoon where she gives him a smooch on the head is priceless!

"Pickles": 5/01/08

Related:
     Meet the Pickles Family
     Meet Brian Crane
     Cartoons and Comic Strips About Marriage
     Tips for a Long Lasting Marriage

Photo: Don Farrall / Getty Images
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