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Thirteen years into their marriage, Joel Madden<\/strong><\/a> is still gaga over his wife, Nicole Richie<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cI feel lucky,\u201d the 44-year-old gushed in a recent interview. Calling his spouse \u201cbeautiful\u201d and his \u201cqueen,\u201d the Good Charlotte singer told talk-show host Tamron Hall<\/strong> that Nicole, 42, \u201cis the greatest partner.\u201d It\u2019s taken more than luck to keep their relationship solid. \u201cThey communicate well and have been proactive about keeping their marriage healthy,\u201d an insider exclusively tells Life & Style<\/em>. \u201cThey have check-ins where they both bring up their grievances, no matter how small, so they can face them head-on.\u201d<\/p>\n Both children of divorce, they made a conscious decision before becoming parents to daughter Harlow, 15, and 14-year-old son Sparrow that they wouldn\u2019t put their kids through what they experienced.<\/p>\n \u201cWe both have had ups and downs with our parents and we don\u2019t really have a strong example of what a healthy family life is,\u201d Nicole has said. \u201cBut we\u2019re recognizing that now, so let\u2019s work at it and let\u2019s go through this as a team.\u201d Now that they\u2019re parents of teenagers, it\u2019s even more vital that they have each other\u2019s backs. \u201cThey joke that it\u2019s them against the teens,\u201d the insider tells Life & Style<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s not far from the truth because they really make a big effort to stick together and back each other up.\u201d<\/p>\n Family bliss didn\u2019t seem likely for the pair, who met via friends in 2006. She was a wild child who rose to fame as a clueless rich kid with pal Paris Hilton<\/strong> on The Simple Life<\/em>, with multiple arrests, a rehab stay and even jail time. In fact, her probation for missing an anti-drunk driving class wasn\u2019t lifted until December 2010, the same month she and Joel married. (For his part, the rocker had caught flack for dating 16-year-old Hilary Duff<\/strong> when he was 25.) \u201cNicole looks back at her party-girl days and hardly recognizes herself,\u201d says the insider. \u201cIt really feels like a lifetime ago.\u201d<\/p>\n The Making the Cut<\/em> alum has gone from raising hell to raising chickens at the family\u2019s home in L.A. \u201cNicole and Joel are very focused on family life, and when they aren\u2019t working, they prefer to stay home with their kids,\u201d notes the insider. \u201cTimes have really changed.\u201d A big night for them might be having her bestie Cameron Diaz<\/strong> and Joel\u2019s twin brother, Benji Madden<\/strong> \u2014 And alone time is just as important. \u201cThey\u2019re both extremely busy with work but they still manage to prioritize time together,\u201d reveals the insider. That means planning date nights or scheduling little trips away for just the two of them. \u201cWe love to laugh and have fun,\u201d the Great News<\/em> star has said of her husband. Notes the insider: \u201cNicole and Joel are best friends, and even after all these years they still genuinely love spending time together and can make each other laugh like no one else can. They also really appreciate each other and accept each other, flaws and all.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
who wed in 2015 \u2014 over. \u201cDinner and board games is one of their favorite things to do,\u201d says the insider. \u201cNicole can\u2019t believe her luck in getting to have Cameron as a sister-in-law. She gets to see her all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n