As the holiday season kicks off, families in North Dallas are still putting their lives back together following last month's tornado.
Even with homes ripped apart, some said there's still plenty to be thankful for.
Dana Boatman said he remembered the day vividly.
"It was a 130 mph winds, so the winds were swirling in those rooms I don't know how fast," he said.
As he and his wife hunkered down inside, his house took a beating, while other homes around them were ripped apart.
Now, instead of the hustle and bustle of families and holiday lights, the neighborhood is quiet.
He said it's not at all how he'd hoped to spend the holidays.
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"The more you think about it, the more it's a little bit depressing, so I try not to think about it at all," Boatman said.
He does think about reasons to be thankful, though.
"Well, it is Thanksgiving," he said.
At a recent HOA meeting, Boatman said his neighbors all agreed on one thing.
"We're all talking about how thankful we were that nobody was injured," he said.
Thanksgiving won't be the same, because the neighborhood simply isn't the same. He said he and wife would eat out somewhere Thursday, and Christmas is uncertain as well.
"What we're hoping for is by that time we'll have some more windows in and some more construction will be done," Boatman said.
But Boatman said he's blessed.
"We pray for a hedge of protection around us all the time, so we really feel that the Lord reached down and protected us," he said. "We're optimistic that things will turn out alright."
Dallas city officials counted more than 900 buildings damaged by the Oct. 20 tornado with more than 100 destroyed. The damage is worth an estimated $60 million.
