This Christmas will be a challenging one for a Quad City family dealing with the murder of their mother and sister.

Police say Christina Mejia's former boyfriend strangled the 22 year old mother of four to death outside her home in Rock Island. The man accused of the murder, Osbaldo Jose- Nicolas is in the county jail awaiting trial.

"It's chaos, but in the last few months, my chaos has turned into normal," said Christina's sister Amanda Hawkins.

It's a new normal for Amanda Hawkins after Christina was murdered earlier this month.

The married Davenport mother has five kids of her own and is now taking care of her little sister's three children left without a mom.

"There was no option, this was it," she said.

"These are my sister's children and they're not gonna go with people they don't know."

There's 10 month old Osbaldo. Isabella is almost two. And four year old Octavio.

"When they ask about their mother, we try to avoid it," said Hawkins.

"But not 'mommy's with angels, she's in heaven'. They don't really understand."

Hawkins says a fourth child, six year old Vanessa, is having the hardest time. She now lives with her aunt Cella, another of Christina's sisters.

"It's like a hurricane, everythings destroyed and you gotta put the pieces back together," said Maricella Mejia.

Financially, it's a challenge. There are eight kids, two adults and three bedrooms. They are goign paycheck to paycheck.

And its been a legal nightmare.

Octavio needs speech therapy and still isn't in school. The family can't get his birth certificate to get him the help he needs because they are not the legal parent or guardian. To add insult to injury, the man accused of killing their sister is the father of two of the children.

"I don't want the kids to grow up and feel the anger I feel."

This Christmas will be a struggle, but they are doing all they can. In this house there is plenty of love.

"Through our family, they'll be okay, we'll make it through somehow or another."

The sisters are staying strong. For the kids. For thier sister.

A memorial fund has been established at all area American Bank and Trust locations to help pay the costs associated with Christina Meija's funeral and for children's gifts this Christmas.