LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Many Arkansans are thankful this holiday season despite the hardships caused by the March 31 tornado.
Hard-hit businesses and neighbors are still spreading joy and gratitude for the holidays.
"We want people to come and see that there is hope and many positive things are happening," Jenny Bishop said.
That mindset got Bishop through some hard times, like losing her house in the March 31 tornado.
She's now about halfway through rebuilding her house in Walnut Valley.
"It's taken us some time to get here, but our house is finally being built," Bishop said. "We're hoping that we will be in the house by April."
Several other neighbors will return to their homes in the coming weeks.
"It's fun because we're all like, 'Come see my house,' and getting to see all the new stuff," Bishop said.
Bishop also invites all her neighbors in Walnut Valley to spread some holiday cheer.
"We are encouraging everyone in the neighborhood to decorate for the holidays and just kind of make our neighborhood look cheerful and inviting," Bishop said.
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, it's a busy time for many of us, especially for Catering to You. The business reopened a month ago, right before the holidays.
"We had to cut orders off three days early because orders inundated us," Catering to You Owner Judy Adams said. "We were just fried. We wouldn't finish them, so we're preparing extra food."
As they work on Thanksgiving orders, Adams sees many familiar faces coming in. The store was closed for several months after the tornado damaged the building.
"We've been overwhelmed by the nice comments," Adams said. "The generosity of the customers that have come in with the kind remarks."
As Adams and Bishop continue to overcome struggles, they're thankful at the end of the day.
"We are thankful that... no one was hurt," Adams said. "It was the only things that could be replaced or repaired."