Cedric and I met in 2004 when I was 16 and he was 17. Cedric's sister Aileen, who is now married to my brother Lex, had lived in Saint George, UT the year before as a foreign exchange student. She lived right down the street with one of Lex's best friend's family. Well, they started dating at that time. The next year, Cedric was a foreign exchange student in Canada. He chose Canada because at that time, he wasn't running around with the greatest crowd and didn't want to come to Mormonville. Of course that isn't what he told his parents, but it's what he just told me. His Mom is a super smart lady and booked his flight to Canada and from Las Vegas so he had to find a way to get to Mormonville whether he liked it or not. What she didn't know, was that she would be introducing him to his future wife.
He stayed with the Romberger family while he was here, the same family Aileen lived with. I remember the first time I saw him he was standing in our kitchen drinking a drink. I had just walked upstairs because I heard Lex come home and I knew he was bringing Aileen's brother. Honestly, I just wanted to know if his accent was as good as Aileen's was when he spoke English. I would be obviously lying if I said that I wasn't interested to know if he was "hot" too. I mean come on, a mormon europeon boy who was about my age was coming and I had just started dating. In fact, I hadn't been on a real date yet. Not to mention, I was the MOST boy crazy girl in the universe. So Cedric was standing in my kitchen all cool like wearing dark pants, a black pullover and a black and red hat. But he looked at me and said hello and I could not help but notice his amazing light eyes in comparison. So even though he dressed like a weirdo, he was of course still dreamy. We had a little conversation and I came to the conclusion that he had just as good of an american accent as his sister.
I don't remember anything else until a day or so later when Lex put together a group date for a bunch of his friends. I was supposed to go with Lex's friend Derrick and Lex went with his 2nd girlfriend who Aileen didn't know about Tayli, then there was Gavin, Sam and Cedric. They all had dates. Well Cedric's date ended up hanging out with Gavin all night and Tayli's totally hot...still totally hot sister Chantelle showed up who was too young to date but Derrick still had the hots for showed up so my date disappeared. In the end, Cedric and I ended up together. We talked a lot and when the date was over Lex brought Cedric to our house. I guess he didn't notice the sparks starting to fly between us. Cedi and I went downstairs to look for a movie to watch. I still didn't know if he was really interested in me until he said in his adorable accent "do you have any scary movies?" Then I knew he was totally down for cuddling. Well, we didn't have any so we settled for Ice Age. Pretty scary, ey?
We watched the movie for a few minutes and our hands were both totally free for the holding. Then they got closer, and closer until finally our pinkies touched and we held hands. We cuddled for a little while until Lex came down and told Cedric he had to go. I guess he was done making out with his girlfriend...hypocrite. Just kidding. My parents were off in some random country just like they are right now and Lex was in charge. He did a good job. But then I was just bugged to death.
The next day I had to go to girls camp but I faked a headache so I could come home...if only I had to fake headaches to get out of stuff now. Anyway, Cedric and I cuddled for a few days and I gave him every opportunity possible to kiss me but he was too scared. I am thankful now I guess but then I was so bugged. Anyway, I went with Lex and Tayli to take Cedric to the airport. Lex was so mad at me because he wanted a Vegas day with his girlfriend. I didn't think that would be a good idea anyway so I pushed to go with them.
When we got to the airport, Cedric thought he forgot his passport and I had a little leap of hope that I might have a little longer for him to kiss me, but to my dismay he had it and off he flew to Germany.
I wrote in my journal after he left something like this: I have another boy to write about. His name is Cedric. He is sooooo hot and has a really sexy accent because he is from Germany. Anyway, we held hands and cuddled but he flew back to Germany so I really don't think I will ever see him again.
I didn't hear from him again for about a year. I did write him 2 email but the butthead didn't reply. In the mean time, my parents became really good friends with his parents and had planned for my whole family to come to Germany one year for Christmas. My dad found $300 tickets round trip tickets direct from Vegas to Frankfurt at that time of year so he got that for everyone for Christmas. So Katrine and Corban, Anna and Shawn and Sawyer, Lex, Me and Charity went to Germany for like 3 weeks. It was awesome.
Like the day before we left, surprise, surprise, I got an email from Cedric! It didn't say much...I just kind of thought it was lame.
We flew into the Dresden airport, which is like an hour and a half away from Schwarzenberg where they live. Olaf, Katrin, Aileen, Cedric and Adrian came to pick the first batch of us up (Mom, Dad, Me, Lex and Charity) in their big party van. Cedric just got hotter. His eyes were brighter, he wasn't wearing all black and he was really energetic. About 10 minutes into the ride, Cedi asked if I could give him a hand massage...like I would pass up that opportunity. I massaged his hand for like a minute before we were holding hands again. Our poor parents. He still tries to say he just wanted a hand massage and didn't expect to hold my hand. I say yeah right.
So I was 17 now and he was 18. From almost the minute we got to Germany we gave our parents such a hard time. Of course I didn't see why then because we were just so in love and why couldn't they see it? Harvey and Jorgen, if you are reading this in 15 or 16 years from now, I swear if you get such a serious girlfriend before your missions and I don't care how awesome she is, if she is the one in the long run, how in love you are or what country she is from, if you do this to us I will spank you, pinch you and put you in the corner...I don't care how old you are. It will never change.
Cedric was such a gentleman though. I had not long before this had a really stupid boyfriend and wanted to go really slow. This time, it was my fault we didn't kiss for a while. Considering that literally the only time we were apart was when he was at school and I was only going to be there for a couple of weeks, he waited a really long time to kiss me. I was his first real girlfriend though. He told me he loves me before he kissed me. That is actually a really cute story.
After I had been in Germany for about 5 or 6 days, we had talked about pretty much everything. I had told him everything and he had told me everything about him. He had this sweetness to him that was so amazing. His love for people, especially his family, came out so clearly and it was so lovable. He was adorable with his little cousins and who wouldn't fall in love with that? He treated his mom and sisters with so much love and respect. These were all such incredible attributes that were deep inside of him...still are. I haven't even mentioned his love for the savior. Anyway, he took me to school with him one day to show off his American girlfriend. His English teacher was hilarious. We were sitting in the last class of the day and passing a note back and forth. In that note, we were actually talking about kissing. He told me that he would wait until I was totally ready and I told him it was pretty much all I could think about. So after we got home, we were passing a note back and forth still about how much we liked each other. Then he got a totally serious look on his face and looked he in the eye to say "Lina, I have never felt this way before. I love you." I just said "I love you too."
The next day his mom asked if we could take their adorable green smart car to the pharmacy to pick up some medication for her. We were excited to have a parent ask us to go somewhere together so of course there were no complaints from us. We drove there together and then sat and talked in the car at the pharmacy for a while. Finally Cedric leaned in and kissed my forehead, then my cheek, then my chin and finally my lips. We kissed for a couple of minutes until we heard a very loud, terrifying "tap tap tap" on the window. We looked up with a very guilty look on my face and saw his aunt Andrea waving at us. Apparently Andrea, her husband Andre, Oma, Opa and all 4 of Cedi's little cousins were all in the van at a stop light just across the street from us witnessing the whole thing. To that point in my life, I had never been more embarrassed. None the less, we laughed our heads off all the way home...then kissed some more.
We had a really great 10 days or so after that full of kissing and cuddling and making our parents really mad, as well as sickening anyone around us. For Christmas Cedric gave me his RWH (Return with honor) ring around a chain and I gave him my CTR ring plus a tie and letter writing material to encourage him going on a mission.
For years I thought his Dad hated me because of one incident. On new years eve, Cedric's oldest sister Aniela threw the best party ever. In fact, these are the only pictures of Cedric and me that I even have from back then:
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The next few days we played it a little more cool until I left. By the time I left, our parents had already planned a big 3 week long church history tour in our motor home with their family in April. So we would only be apart for 3 months. That made the goodbye a little more bearable.
We talked pretty much every day because Cedric found a way to call me over the internet. I got a cell phone bill lecture every month until April.
April eventually came and we had a really great time. On the tour, my Dad caught on that Cedric is a genius with computers and started having him write programs for my Dad's company. That's all I'm going to say about that because I still have a lot to cover.
After the Ebisch family went to Germany, we didn't have a time that we would see each other again set before they left so it was harder. But not long after they went home, my Dad said Cedric would be coming for the summer to work for him. I was elated...and also didn't know how I would avoid the 2 guys I was dating here that Cedric didn't know about, Josh and Drew. Neither of them were boyfriends though so it was easier than I thought it would be. Cedric was very faithful though and had no idea my heart was starting to wander. I was kind of secretive about it because Cedric, of course, was still my favorite. Ok, now before you go judging, remember that I was 17 and wanted to date. My boyfriend lived half way across the world. All the guys I dated knew about Cedric...I just may have left it out that I was dating other guys to Cedric.
It was a really fun summer and that is also when Cedi really became my Dad's slave. My Dad loved and still loves Cedric. Let's just say that he loves Lex almost as much as Cedi...jk...kind of.
This time, I knew when I would see him again before the summer was over. Me, Charity and my parents went to Italy with his parents and sisters. This is where I became good friends with Aileen and Aniela. Best. Trip. Ever!
After Italy, my Mom and Charity flew home and my Dad and I took trains to Schwarzenberg. That was the most memorable trip I have ever had with my Dad. It was just me and him. We had so many deep spiritual conversations. I love that man.
I spent a couple of weeks in Germany with Cedi. We were also there for Aileen's farewell right before her mission. It was great.
After I went home from Germany, I was pretty much only dating Cedric...until November. This is when I met Chad Roberts. I met Chad at a church activity and didn't really ever tell Cedric. I broke up with Cedi for Chad but never told Cedi why I broke up with him. He was heart broken.
This is the only picture I have of Chad. He is dancing with Charity at her wedding reception.
Then Chad went on a mission and I seriously dated Daniel Eason (picture from his facebook page)
And seriously dated Daniel Bledsoe...what is up with the Daniel's, right? (also picture from his facebook page)
There was 4 years before Cedric and I saw each other again. In that time, we both went on missions, I lived in Israel, went to school, we both had other loves and grew up a lot.
Ok, so I am going to finish the best part of the story later. Now I am all caught up to when we got engaged. I love him.
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Those neicies are so smitten....I love this story, you better finish!
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