Good Friday, "District Wide No School". So that is what our school calendar says but our new way of life is another story. No "Virtual" classes today while we are all quarantined at home. I listen to Mia and Julia Face time Emery and Layla, their cousins in Virginia. Even though we are far apart, our "Quad-Force" has been doing everything together face timing all day long laughing and singing away with one another. We went on a bike ride, they went on a bike ride. Last night they all made bath bombs together, through Face time of course, them there, us here. They even called in Auntie Fran and had a group chat together to see what she was up to and visit with their new dog Apollo. Our screen shots with one another smiling as if we were all together were fun but just not the same.
Maximus and Cameron watch "Endgame" tonight with Julia and Mia. A year ago, we were all counting down the days, to hours, to minutes then seconds and had Cameron's excitement firing us all up throughout the day to see the movie premier when it was released in Virginia. A couple of us may or may not have even known what the movie was going to be about but we couldn't help but be just as excited with him, as if Santa was coming. It was fun, Cameron made it fun and we loved every bit of our "Schebfest" movie night out together including the movie and especially the soundtrack! That's what our holiday was, it didn't matter where we were, as long as we were all together, we had the best time.
"Schebfest" a tradition that started years ago. Spring break. We had Zoe & Cameron and Mia and Layla were just babies. We were all at Disney World together, my sister Heather, our kids and husbands all together. Eric went to rent a stroller from the park. A name tag is on the back of every stroller, since they are all identical. Eric flies in on the back of the stroller, flips it around and says so proudly clever, "SCHEBS" as both our last names combined were written on the name tag, Schneider and Eberle. We were cracking up and hence, Schebfest was then created. Every year our Easter Holiday was spent together over our Spring Breaks. 
As the kids got older, we started venturing off to new locations and
loving every minute of it. Our parents even joined us on a couple adventures. As much as we always wanted our nephews with us, they always had sports or another adventure happening and unable to join us (it made our Christmas holidays and summers together even more exciting when they made it).
Every year, we traveled our Chocolate Italian Easter Eggs wrapped in shiny paper from Mom or Aunt Clara and a bag of Easter yummies from Aunt Pat, along with Easter Bread fresh baked with the boiled egg in the middle. We colored and decorated eggs together. These little traditions from us growing up carried all the way over to our kids annual Schebfest come Easter morning. The kids would wake up with over 300 eggs that were all found within less than 10 minutes every morning as they rolled right out of bed and went to hunt their little hearts out. Beautiful Church Services were celebrated together. Last year, I still laugh at our conversation after church. One of us wanted to just hug all the little cuties running around that parents were frustratingly trying to control, another one of us thought how it felt like that was just yesterday with our own and another one of us thought, the one time you come to church you expect that poor child to sit down and then the other one of us didn't even make the church fun at all, not naming any of us either. lol.
So this year, our tradition is our own. The six of us home alone, a celebration breakfast will be made (I love making a big breakfast and do it as often as I can.) Easter eggs will be found, not quite as many. Maybe we'll get a bike ride in together if the weather cooperates and church service will be viewed from home online. No communion, no Easter songs, no physical gathering of hugs, handshakes and fellowship.
I digress for one moment....Watching the news this week, the voting polls were all open with dangers of the Corona virus being spread because of it. Packs of people waiting in line close to one another, not the 6 feet apart as recommended. Large groups of people all together to get their votes in while putting themselves in danger of the deadly Corona virus. Yet, priests are encouraging parishioners to stay home and stay safe and watch the church service from home. I've heard it several times and agree, God is not a location, He is everywhere.
So for the sake of history, I write, we were able to stand next to each other and vote for our politicians that strongly ridicule one another but were recommended not to sit together in faith. Absentee Ballots were also mailed out with the error of not getting them out and in on time, another political mess. Sunday no matter where we all are is a celebration that Jesus has risen and we plan on celebrating together as a family in our own home. No dinner with Nana and Grandpa, no Easter egg hunt with the cousins and no family and friends gathering together in one home come Sunday morning, or any other day before and after until the CDC tells us to "UnQuarantine". Our curve has been lowered as the news says and our social distancing is working, slowing down the virus. Prayers are made everywhere for everyone and staying apart for now, is the safest way to do it.
So traditions, as we walk away from being quarantined, whenever it will be, how many new traditions are being created in your own home and how many traditions will be carried on for years to come? I'm ready to be with my nieces again and our annual "Schebfest" will be put back in place after this quarantine, but as for new traditions, I'm excited our family may have begun a couple new ones while home together, and I hope, these traditions will last for years to come.
Celebrate one another, be patient with learning new ways together. God is and always will be everywhere with us, know that and know Him. Respect one another's space and most importantly, stay safe and embrace all the moments when you can with the people you love. Live in Faith always, and Happy Blessed Easter Weekend.
