If you were to ask me what my favorite time of year is, I would say, without a doubt, my favorite time of year is Christmas time. It's a beautiful way to remember Jesus' birth, there are so much joy and happiness in the air, and it's so much fun to give people presents! With all the fun times that await me every December, it's almost impossible to wait for all of it to happen.

My solution to this problem? I don't wait!

When June rolls around, I already start preparing for Christmas. I know, that sounds a little bit crazy. Okay, maybe a lot crazy. But I go all out for my Christmas decorations and presents, so I need to start early!

This year, and I'm not kidding here, I started my shopping for Christmas presents for my family and friends in August. I plan out where my decorations are going to go in my dorm and in my house. And, when I need the occasional dose of cheer in my life, I'll blast my Spotify Christmas playlist, even when the Arizona sun is blazing outside and there's not even the slightest hint of winter.

Now that Halloween is just around the corner, my anticipation for Christmas has tripled. We're only two months away!

It's nearly in sight! If I'm being completely honest, my patience is starting to wear out. Not only am I excited for the Christmas season itself to start, but I'm also ready for the semester to be over. Christmastime means that I don't have to work on papers and take exams anymore, and I get to spend my time relaxing and enjoying the happiness of the season with my family and friends.

I'll get to remember the beautiful story of Jesus coming down to Earth to ultimately trade His life for ours. I'll get to spend nights decorating the Christmas tree, blasting Christmas music, watching Christmas specials, and eating way more cookies and candy than any human being should. I get to wake up Christmas morning with a feeling of anticipation knowing that, for twenty-four whole hours, I will get to fully immerse myself in the happiness of Christmas and the joy it brings to my whole family.

Yes, Halloween is great. My friends and I have a trio costume planned for this year, I love eating obscene amounts of candy, and I enjoy the rush of adrenaline that comes with getting scared. But Halloween doesn't fill me with the warm and fuzzy feeling that only Christmas can. I can spend my nights watching Sam and Dean Winchester as they fight monsters all across the Midwest, but that can never replace the happiness I feel as I watch Scott Calvin take up the mantle of Santa Claus (that's my favorite Christmas movie, by the way). Halloween is a time of monsters and fear, but Christmas is a time of God's blessings, hope, and joy, and I'd much rather take that over a pillowcase full of candy.