George W Bush Wed Wife of 44 Years 3 Months after Meeting: 'Those Blue Eyes, Oh My God'

Former President of the US, George W. Bush, met the love of his life, former First Lady Laura Bush, through mutual friends. The couple instantly hit off, and they wed months later.

In a profile interview for The Wall Street Journal in April 2021, George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush recounted how they met one another and what attracted them to each other.

Laura revealed what drew her to her husband was that he loved to talk and liked to listen. George recalled they first got to know one another in Midland, Texas, in July 1977.

They crossed paths when mutual friends Joe and Jan O'Neill invited them for burgers. George shared the couple wanted him to meet Laura Welch, Jan's close pal, who later became his wife:

"I went. I was hungry. I was also getting up there in age and felt the urge to settle in."

Laura also told the publication that she and her now-husband had first crossed paths in their younger school years. She did not remember him as someone who talked a lot.

"Jan had talked up George quite a bit. I vaguely remembered him from seventh grade as someone who talked a lot," Laura recalled. She put on a blue sundress and went over,

Meanwhile, George shared he was instantly smitten by Laura, a woman he would soon marry. He explained the intense feeling he felt when he first laid eyes on her:

"The moment I saw Laura's blue eyes, I felt heart palpitations. She was a beautiful, stately woman. A little shy but very engaging."

For the lady in question, the feeling was mutual. Laura, who would be the mother of his children, thought the man who stood in front of her was charming:

"I thought George was cute. Mainly he liked to talk, and I liked to listen."

The pair dated for a few months before George visited Laura in Austin, where she worked as a teacher. He asked her to marry him at her rental place.

For the librarian, the proposal did not come as a surprise because she knew the politician would pop the big question. Laura said she did not hesitate in saying yes:

"I knew George was going to ask. I didn't have to think twice about it. I said yes right away."

George shared the moment he heard Laura say he would marry him; he immediately felt an exciting chapter open: "The moment I heard Laura say yes, I felt an exciting chapter begin," he said.

In an interview on the "Today Show," the couple elaborated more on their love story with their daughter, "Today" co-host Jenna Bush Hager. Asked if he knew Laura was the one right away, George shared:

"Yeah. You should've seen your mom. Those blue eyes, oh my God."

"I've done a lot of things in my life. And your mom has enabled me to do so in many ways," the former governor of Texas continued to divulge.

George and Laura only dated for three months before they wed. Asked if they delayed getting married due to their short courtship, Laura replied: "Not really, did you?" she asked her spouse.

George shrugged and said: "Uh, no. It was too late. We were a little older, living out in West Texas, and I'm a decisive person." The pair were both 31 at the time.

LAURA AND GEORGE'S BLISSFUL MARRIAGE

During their appearance on the "Today Show," the couple played the game He Said, She Said, where they answered questions about their relationship.

When asked who controlled the remote when they watched TV, Laura revealed it was George. The duo shared they binge-watched 2021's "Hemingway."

While George joked that he was an infrequent watcher, Laura said she watched series occasionally. When asked who tends to spoil the grandkids more, the pair admitted they both did.

Hilariously, when asked who was the better dancer between them, George and Laura each considered themselves good dancers. In raising their children, George revealed that he was the disciplinarian.

However, the couple admitted neither of them loved disciplining their daughters, Jenna and her fraternal twin sister, Barbara growing up.

In April 2021, Laura and George invited WSJ into their abode at their Crawford, Texas ranch, which they visit 8 to 9 times a year. The duo reflected on growing up with entrepreneurial parents and the stand-alone art studio they built 50 steps from the house:

"We feel relaxed out here. People aren't calling all the time, and we can take a deep breath."

George loves color, and as a painter, he was inspired by nature and by how the sun shines on the landscape during the day. He is the author of "Out of Many One: Portraits of America's Immigrants."

The father of two revealed that he painted a couple of hours each day, mainly in the morning. He said nature helps him think expansively, mentioning that they had magnificent wildflower blooms in Crawford and a live oak that he loved painting.

When he and Laura started their lives together as newlyweds, it was more like humble beginnings. Their first piece of furniture was a brown leather sofa that he bought by trading old leases.

George said he hoped the guy made money off them. The couple still has the couch situated in his art studio. Much to Laura's annoyance, it now has paint splattered all over it but is still a standard feature in the space.

George exercises daily and loves being outside. He rides his mountain bikes at the ranch, where he built about 45 miles of single-track bike trails. The couple also walk frequently with their rescue dog, Freddie.

GEORGE & LAURA CELEBRATED THEIR 44TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

In November 2021, the presidential couple celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary. George, 75, marked the special occasion with a post on Instagram with a photo featuring him and his wife cutting the cake at their wedding back in 1977.

The pair commemorated their anniversary the day after Laura celebrated her 75th birthday. The 43rd president noted how special the month of November is in their home, writing:

"November is a special month in our house. Not only did we get to celebrate my beautiful wife's birthday yesterday, but also the great gift of marriage today. Happy Anniversary, @laurabush!"

The couple wed months after they met at a pal's house and went out on a date the following day to play miniature golf. Laura, a Texas native author, told "Today" in 2018 that it was love at first sight:

"I kind of think it was love at first sight."

In November 2021, the couple's daughter, Jenna, revealed her mother faced sexist criticism when she announced her engagement to her father, saying she was labeled an "old maid" by a local paper.

She talked about the double standards for men and women and age. The 40-year-old recalled that when her parents got married, they were both in their thirties, which made them reasonably young.

But people in Midland, Texas, did not see it that way, as they considered it old. "In the newspaper, it said, 'Midland's most eligible bachelor gets Midland's old maid.' They called my mom an old maid!" said Jenna.

The journalist felt the criticism was stunning, considering both her mom and dad, both now in their 70s, "were the same age." She added misogyny had been around for a long time since they said Laura was old as she was not yet married, but George was considered a bachelor.

BEING GRANDPARENTS & SPOILING THEIR GRANDKIDS

Laura is now a family woman who cherishes family traditions despite being called names. In an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in May 2021, the memoirist shared she has a tradition she got from her parents and now carrying on with her grandchildren.

Laura said she loves it when her grandkids come early in the morning to her bedroom with George to snuggle with them. She joked that two of their grandchildren usually get on their iPads and work on them.

The couple's first grandchild Mila was born in April 2013; speaking on the arrival of the new addition to the family, Laura told "Today" that she and George were thrilled to welcome their first grandbaby and could not get over the newborn.

George shared they flew over to New York City, and he got to hold the baby, saying the experience was incredible as the infant brought so much joy. He added it was the beginning of a new chapter for them as grandparents.

In April 2021, the pair shared they were looking forward to spending more time with their grandchildren as cases of COVID-19 continue to decrease. George admitted he might even spoil them with candy.

The Connecticut native said the problem with the ongoing pandemic was that there is not a lot of travel back and forth. When asked during an interview with People whether he or his wife are known to indulge the grandkids, he admitted that he did and would give them candy.

Laura previously revealed that her husband likes spoiling their grandchildren, adding that he would engage them if they wanted to play video games. If anyone wanted ice cream, he would happily indulge.

George even revealed his grandkids call him "EI Jefe" (the boss) while admitting, "I'm probably undermining every lesson that Jenna and Henry are trying to teach little Mila, but you know, what the heck?" he said.