KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Everything was gone in the blink of an eye; now Shirley McMillion and her family are just trying to survive.

"It's been like a roller coaster that you're just trying to hold on," said McMillion, who lost her home in the gas pipeline explosion in Sissonville earlier in December.

The house where they were planning to spend the holidays is gone, and they say it’s rough knowing they won’t be home for Christmas.

"It does knowing that there's not a home to go to, but we're making it home here for now," said McMillion’s family member Angie McNeely.

Their Christmas tree this year is shared by all the other guests at the motel they’ve been living at for the past couple of weeks.

"It's been pretty rough at times, but it's brought the generosity out in people," McMillion said. "And I think this time of the year -- it's been really tough on us, but people have been amazing. They've treated us so well."

High schools, churches and their employers have all donated time, money and goods to help them out.

This time of year, it’s all about family, and they know everything will be OK.

"Each other -- the fact that our family has each other and I think we've become closer through this ordeal," McMillion said.