From her mom's crowded home to a shelter and then to a transitional home in Waimanalo, Betonia Eichy's family has had it tough this year.

They finally feel like they are home, in a place that is a haven from the world and where they can create memories. But it took a while to get there.

They spent two months at the Institute for Human Services shelter after living with Eichy's mom. They were there because her mom had severe diabetes and needed care, said Eichy.

Then a one-bedroom unit at Weinberg Village Waimanalo became available and Eichy and her husband M3 and their daughters Threenia, 2, and Threean, 1, moved in.

M3 is working part time. He had another job, but the flagging economy took that away. Eichy said she would go back to work in the fast-food industry if she could find affordable daycare. Their long-range goal is to save enough money for a downpayment on a real home, a place where they can raise their daughters.

Eichy hopes that if someone adopts her family they might donate diapers, baby wipes and baby food. Those are so expensive, she said. Her 2-year-old daughter loves to draw and would enjoy a Magna Doodle and a tricycle or toddler bicycle, to ride around the complex, where she has made friends with other children. Eichy's husband needs a new pair of shoes and the couple hope to get a toddler bed so that Threenia doesn't have to sleep with them.

"We are hoping to make Christmas special, not just another day," said Eichy, 27. "I would like to experience what a proper family Christmas feels like."