NAPPANEE — Many people are probably spending time at home for the Christmas holidays. But that's not the case for many in Nappanee who were displaced by the October 18th tornado.

Jeff Miller was able to spend Christmas at his Nappanee home with his family. It was damaged during the tornado in October.

They stayed with other family members while some structural repairs were made. But after a while, they decided to move back in.

They are still dealing with roof problems and water leaking in their house.

“We're definitely thankful and we're just doing the best we can do and yeah we're making the best out of a bad situation,” said Miller.

He says he feels fortunate that he and his family have been able to move back in to their home. But that is not the case, he says, for most of his neighbors on the block who were hit by the tornado.

The majority of the homes on his street still have not been repaired to allow families to move back in.

"We're in our house. We're in our beds. We're home where a lot of people aren't home," said Miller.

Don and Sandy Helmuth are waiting to move into their new home. The original one was leveled by the tornado.

They feel fortunate, this Christmas, that they'll soon be able to move back.

"Its been such a blessing to see how God has worked in the rebuilding of our new home," said Don Helmuth.

“We're very, very thankful and going through Nappanee and seeing those people and where they're at today, and where we are, it’s so painful, because I want them to be where we're at. I want them to have the joy we have,” said Sandy.

The Helmuth family says they also feel fortunate to have found a temporary home to live in next door while their new home is being built.