Christmas is Christmas. Everyone is making the best of it, with family or apart. Some, such as the Pickens clan, are happy right where they are, living in a recreational vehicle north of Williston.

“Just because you have to live in an RV park, like what we’re living, I mean, I’m not homeless. I don’t consider myself homeless,” said Ed Pickens, a truck driver living with his family in Fox Run RV park. “I’m staying right here. I’m enjoying the season in the RV camp.

Pickens’ two children, Maddie, 10, and Connor, 8, both said they are excited for Christmas. They have a small Christmas tree set up in their bedroom, and they said they have already received some presents.

“There’s families here, and they try to make it as normal as possible,” said Holly Kuchenbecker, manager of Fox Run RV park. “They have a Christmas tree in their house, you know. We’re not weird! We’re just common folk trying to recoup our lives that we lost when the economy went to hell.”

Others have made their way to Williston leaving families behind for the time being. Dan Gimmaka, of Seattle, Wash., and Chad King, of Spokane, Wash., made it to Williston a week ago with about $100 to spare.

“It sucks not being with my family,” Gimmaka said.

They found work almost immediately, but it fell through, King said. They had moved briefly from the van they were living in into an employer-provided trailer, but, for now, they’re back in the van.

“We’re living in that big grey thing,” Gimmaka said. “It’s actually not too bad.”

They said they think the hiring managers are home for Christmas, and they are hoping to find a good wage in January when they think hiring will pick back up. Until then, they are planning to wait and “survive.”

“We came here to strike it rich,” Gimmaka said.

“And we’re striking out,” King added.

They said they will be attending the annual free Christmas dinner provided by First Lutheran Church in conjunction with Banquet West, which offers free Sunday dinners at First Lutheran Church, 916 Main St.

“We’ve been doing Christmas Dinner since way back when. It’s always been a free community dinner,” said First Lutheran Pastor Martin Mock.

The free meal will be from 1-3 p.m. on Christmas Day.

“We have a lot of people here who have nowhere to go,” Mock said. “They’re a long ways away from family, so are you going to sit somewhere alone on this day when we’re, we’re talking about, that God so loved the world that he gave His only son? Well, good, God did that, now, go, go away? Or are we going to feed you? Are we going to provide a place to come where it’s warm, we’re we’ll get you good food?

Some might be wondering how good the food is. Mock says it is very good.

“I mean, we have good food. Oh, it’s ham, it’s turkey. I mean, it’s all the trimmings. I mean, it’s just like, you know, a regular holiday meal. They’ll make pies. . . it’s good!”

The Tolliver family, who arrived three weeks ago from Knoxville, Tenn., have decorated the inside of their trailer with paper snowflakes and snowmen.

“We hung up snowflakes with the kids and cut out snowmen,” said April Tolliver. “Don’t have a tree because there’s five of us, well, seven of us, five kids. We’re going to cook a Christmas dinner like we always do, and sit down and have dinner.”

There is also reportedly a surprise in store for the five Tolliver boys.

“They’re hiding it from us, and they told us it’s a surprise but I hate having to wait. We hate having to wait to see what the secret is,” said Ethan Tolliver, 9, his voice drowned out in the excited talking of the other boys.

Even 1-year-old Israel Tolliver was peppering the conversation with enthusiastic baby talk.

Unlike others here, who have been enjoying the mild winter, the Tolliver boys have been hoping for snow.

“We don’t get much snow back in Tennessee where we live,” said Preston Tolliver, 11.

With or without snow, with or without family, with or without work, in Williston everyone is trying to make the best of season.

“Our goal is, number one, community,” Mock said. “I mean, isn’t that what it’s all about?”