On Christmas morning, Marty and his family gather in the living room to exchange gifts and eat breakfast. They get ready to leave for Aunt Hettie’s house, leaving Shiloh behind. Marty wishes that they could bring him along, as he does not like to leave Shiloh alone outside during hunting season, but Ma reminds Marty that it is good to have a dog to guard the house while they are away.

Dara Lynn antagonizes Marty for the duration of the ride, and his parents blame Marty for the conflict, as he is the eldest. Marty wishes that Dara Lynn could be the oldest for a day so that some of the blame could fall on her head for once. The Prestons eat dinner at Aunt Hettie’s house, and after the meal, they get ready to visit Grandma Preston at the nursing home. When they arrive, Grandma Preston greets them from her wheelchair, asking everyone if they have seen her snow shovel and asking Marty if he took it. The nurses recommend that they wheel Grandma Preston around the nursing home to see the decorations, and Dad takes the children with him.

As they tour, Grandma Preston complains about being in the nursing home, which she refers to as a “den of thieves and liars” (40), accusing another resident of stealing her change purse.