I saw this on a friend’s Facebook page and thought I’d share!

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Have you ever wondered “what is the secret to a long and happy marriage?” Our collection of tried and true marriage advice tips will help you answer that very question! These secrets to a happy marriage come straight from the horse’s mouth — those who are happily married!

Never assume.

Compliment more than you criticize.

For each time you vent about your husband/wife to your friends, tell three positive stories.

Remember that it is ok to do things differently (e.g. there is more than one way to peel a potato or fold the laundry).

Always make time for the two of you.

Marry someone that you enjoy listening and talking to.

Remember that marriage is sometimes a bed of roses and sometimes there are thorns.

Remember that the best gift that you can give your children is to love their mother/father.

Be fair! Split the housework, spending money, etc evenly. This way you are never resentful of your partners contributions (or lack of) or expenditures.

Never go to bed angry. (Unless it’s 3a.m. and you’re exhausted, angry, and not thinking straight.)

Remember that people do fight. It’s how you do it that matters.

Before starting an argument, consider if it’s really worth it.

Fight naked.

Agree to disagree.

Never, ever mention the “D” word (divorce).

Do you want to be right or do you want to be married?

Respect each other’s privacy.

Remember that “love is like childhood. You need to learn to share.”

Marriage is not 50/50, it’s two people giving 100/100 all of the time.

Surprise each other now and then.

The secret to a happy marriage is two TV’s!

Have date night!

Never pass up an opportunity to say “I love you”.

Hold hands.

Hug & kiss every day (several times a day actually!).

Always believe that you got better than you deserved.

Be quick to say “I’m sorry”.

Choose the one you love, then love the one you choose.

Keep the in-laws out of your marriage!

Love isn’t always a feeling, it’s a decision.

Hang in there. It’s worth it.

Play nice, play often, love much.

Never air your dirty laundry as a couple in public.

Never keep secrets from each other.

Be each other’s champion. No matter what, take your husband or wife’s side first!

Communication is the key!

Always respect each other.

Never underestimate the power of a good belly-laugh and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.

It’s the little things that matter most.

Never use the words ‘Always’ and ‘Never’ in a fight.

It’s ok to argue, but never use curse words to express your anger.

Never compare your marriage to others. What you see on the outside is not always what it is on the inside.

Don’t make love in the same place/position everytime. Variety is the spice of life!

As most of you know, Mark has been working out of town on and off since LAST January.

To say it’s been hard on us, would be an understatement. Fortunately though, it hasn’t really affected our marriage.

Sure, it’s been a little tough at times because who wouldn’t be a little upset about their spouse being out of town 16 days at a time? But all in all, we’ve handled it quite well. Skype and iChat have been LIFESAVERS!! Without that, I’m not sure it would have been so easy. (Not that it was really EASY!)

The hardest part (without stating the obvious of not being in the bed together at night) is that he’s missing so much of the kids lives. Zach started school last year and played basketball and Mark missed almost all of that. He didn’t even get to make any of Reagan’s end of the year stuff at school. And now Zach is playing football and he’s yet to see him even practice, but we are HOPING AND PRAYING that this is almost over (they are shooting for the first of September) and he will get to make all of his games.

I’ve had so many people ask us how we do it and how we’ve kept our marriage together, but the truth of the matter is that there’s no easy answer. It has been a lot of hard work and I honestly believe that a lot of it has to do with how strong our marriage is. I don’t for one second think a marriage on the rocks could have survived it. I’d like to think that if our marriage has survived this, it could survive anything.

Another thing that has gotten me through is reminding myself that some people don’t even have a job right now. So while he’s had to travel to have a job, at least he can still pay the bills.

In the end, I hope to be able to look back on this whole experience and know that no matter what, our love will see us through. And that right there, is more important than anything.