Image by Greg Henderson

Contrary to popular belief, it takes more than love to make a marriage work.

A couple of weekends ago my husband, Jason, and I attended a marriage conference in Branson. It was a great way to get away (we celebrated seven years of marriage that weekend), reconnect and focus on the foundation of our family – our marriage.

We went on a Friday and returned on a Sunday with a workbook full of great tips, advice and knowledge. But, most importantly, we returned with a renewed sense of what marriage is really about and how important it is to meet all its challenges head on.

Now that most of my friends have young children, I have seen a scary trend towards a child-centered home where husband and wife become obsolete and parents are the only people around. The children become the complete and total focus, leaving two people who once dated, talked and enjoyed each other on the outside looking in.

What I learned that weekend is that if we really, truly focus on improving our marriage, the rest (including parenting) will fall into place as it should. We should strive to complete a family circle, not wedging children in between, creating a drifting away between spouses that at some point can’t be stopped. Don’t get me wrong, focusing on our children (especially at these young ages) is extremely important, but neglecting your marriage to do that is going to eventually derail all the good you’re trying to do.

I also learned that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been married, it’s always good to recharge. We sat near a couple who were celebrating 47 years of marriage! I couldn’t imagine why they were attending a marriage conference, but it was simple in their minds. No matter how many times you’re told the basics, it’s good to hear them at any point -- to be reminded that marriage is special and something we never want to take for granted.

I also learned that as much as I try to downplay the effect the digital world has had on my marriage and family, it’s for real. Since social media is a big part of my daily job as a public relations consultant, my husband definitely understands the need for me to have my iPhone near me 24/7. But there comes a point where tweeting and Facebooking our life events can get annoying and detrimental.

I’ve never been one to keep anything to myself. I love being social, and tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and others are ideal for taking it to the next level. But that doesn’t mean I have to bring a third “spouse” into my relationship. I’m not saying it isn't extremely hard, but I try to limit digital time when I’m with my family.

I try to remind myself that it’s more important to be with the people I love and enjoy our experiences together rather than immediately sharing them with the world. I can always share those experiences later, even though sometimes it feels like I’m in a race to alert the world of my every move when they happen.

So, I -- we -- learned a lot at the conference. Immediately when we returned, we were thrown into the normal chaos of life, but I’m trying to remind myself every day of the importance of making this thing work to the absolute best of our abilities. Yes, life gets in the way, but it’s all about priorities and what you do to make things right and put family first.