Real People in Love: Mandee & Sean

Now that we're back I can't wait to continue with my Real People in Love series. I have a couple of (very patient) guest bloggers lined up but if you'd like to participate shoot me an email!

This week's Real People in Love are Mandee & Sean from The Bear Naked Truth, if you're not familiar with Mandee hop on over and check her blog out, she is such a happy, spunky voice that it is no surprise that Mandee & Sean's relationship is based on fun.

How old are you & Sean?

I'm 24 and Sean is 27. He will be turning 28 in December.

How long have you been together?

We've been together over 3 years.

What are your occupations?

I work as an estimator for my father's concrete construction business, and I love it. I can pretty much dress however I want and I'm faced with something new every day. Sean is an IT contractor for Defense Intelligence Agency. It sounds fancy, but he's really just a computer nerd. ;)

How did you meet?

Actually, it's a funny story. My best friend and his best friend had recently started dating and they wanted to introduce us. We all went on a weekend trip to the beach, where I met Sean for the first time. I was really hoping he'd turn out to be a giant D-bag because I wasn't interested in dating anyone at the time. It turned out we had more in common than we thought. We spent all night talking, flirting, and dancing. He ended the evening by throwing me in a pool with all my clothes on. He's very romantic.

How did you get engaged?

Sean had told me he'd been saving for a ring, which was a shock to me, because we'd only been dating a year. One evening, he came home from work to find a post-it from FedEx on the front door... saying they'd attempted to deliver a package, but someone needed to be home to sign for it. Instead of just signing the slip and leaving it on the door, he insisted that we drive to FedEx to pick it up. I knew at that moment that it was a gift for me, since he refused to let me in on what it was we were picking up. We picked up the mysterious package and decided to get Five Guys burgers for dinner. As I was setting up dinner on paper plates on our bed and finding something to watch on TV (because we're classy, and watch TV in bed while eating), he nervously walked in the room. He climbed up on the bed (on one knee, of course), pulled out the ring, and asked me to marry him. My first reaction was "get the eff out of here, are you serious?" He was serious, and obviously, I said yes... over burgers and fries.

Tell us about your wedding day (not necessarily elements but feelings too):

Our wedding day was absolutely fantastic- we got married August 8, 2009 and it was a hot, hot, hot day! It meant so much to us to be surrounded by all our family and friends. It's so weird, because I wasn't nervous at all during the day until my flowers arrived at our hotel. As soon as I saw the bouquet I'd be holding, I freaked. We did "first glance" pictures with our photographer before the ceremony, and it was my favorite part of the entire event. When I turned around and saw him for the first time, my heart fluttered. I know it sounds cheesy, but at that moment, I was the happiest woman in the world... he looked so handsome in his tux, and his nerves calmed mine. The day went off without a hitch, and there were a ton of funny little moments that I'll never forget, like when our best man rapped Ice Ice Baby, and when I put the ring on his finger before our officiant told me to. Our wedding day was simply perfect, and it was one of the best days of our lives.

Define Love:

Love is many things- it's being passionate and compromising. It's sharing the good fortunes as well as the bad. It's truth and value and faith to each other. It's having a permanent best friend, as well as a lover, and a mentor. It's waking up in the morning and being happy to be next to him, day in and day out. It's letting him have the last glass of ice tea, and always cleaning the litter boxes because you know he hates it. Love is understanding that you are two separate people working towards a common goal. It's forgiving one another and pardoning mistakes that they make. Love is pooping with the door open, so you have someone to talk to while you're doing your binness.

What is the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?

Honestly, I don't think any of it is too tough. I guess it's difficult sometimes to remember that you have another person to consider when making decisions. I was on my own for a long time before Sean was in the picture, so it was sort of a culture shock to have him to think about, as well as myself.

What is the best part?

It's getting to share my life and spend each and every day with my best friend. It's knowing that no matter what, he always has my back. We're a team.

What is the best day the two of you have had together?

Hmm, that's hard. There have been so many! One of my favorite days was our first date. He picked me up at my house and we went to dinner at my favorite steakhouse. We talked and talked and talked... it seemed like we had known each other our whole lives. After dinner, we went to Dave & Busters. During that time of year I had been experiencing pretty severe anxiety, and a crowded place like Dave & Buster's was a bad idea from the jump. I was sweaty and nervous and on the brink of a panic attack by the time Sean spent $30 on the card to play games. I told him how I was feeling, and he immediately insisted that he take me home. He also struggled with anxiety, and so he completely understood how I felt. When we got back to my house we lounged around and watched movies until the sun came up. He didn't even try to get in my pants! That's when I knew he was something special.

What makes you different from other couples?

I think the fact that we're totally gross with one another makes us different from other couples. We are honestly disgusting, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We have farting contests, and we describe our poops. We talk about bodily functions like it's an interesting movie we've seen. We're just so brutally honest with each other- there is no sugar coating with us. I also think we're different from other couples because we both struggle with anxiety disorders. Instead of it pulling one of us away from the other, it brings us close together.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

Anything. My favorite days are those when we just run errands together, or those when we stay home and watch countless hours of TV and movies. We love to see live music and comedy together, and we love to try new restaurants. We like going to sporting events... even though he's a Baltimore Ravens fan, and I'm a Washington Redskins fan. We both love hockey and try to go to as many Capitals games as we can during the season. Sean and I both love going to the beach and just relaxing. We honestly love doing anything, as long as we're spending time together.

Do you have a song?

We have a few, actually. Our first dance song was "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. Our real song is called "Still Dreaming" by Silverstein, but it's a little too metal to play at a wedding. We got some of the lyrics tattooed on our arms after the wedding. My arm says "My heart starts to pound," and his says "to the rhythm of yours."

What is the most essential element of making it?

Patience. We're not perfect by any means, and we argue sometimes, as all couples do. The key is to know when to walk away and when to argue your point. You can't hold grudges and bring up past arguments. You just have to be committed to working everything out. You have to be able to laugh at yourselves at the end of the day.

What are your hopes for the future?

Right now our main goal is to take one more big trip just the two of us. After that, we're going to start trying for a family. We've agreed that one day when we're old and retired, we're going to drive cross country together. I look forward to that day.

Anything else the world needs to know about love?

If you're lucky enough to find it, don't let it go. It is, hands down, the most wonderful feeling in the world.

I'll be back later in the week with a tour of our new house! And as always, if you'd like to participate in the Real People in Love series, just shoot me an email!