December can be depressing sometimes. With the short days, gloomy sky, and cold weather, it takes a little bit of an effort to stay contented.

While it may not be as obvious as spring or fall, I always think winter is beautiful in its own way.

The crack of dawn and the sunrise, with the silhouette of the withered trees, are absolutely stunning.

On most days, it’s gloomy.

But sometimes, the sun comes out briefly and the blue sky fixes your mood instantly (maybe along with a cup of hot chocolate).

Fortunately, there’s Christmas, and it definitely brightens up December. Christmas paraphernalia and bright colors.

And the sunset is pretty spectacular too. It comes and goes pretty quickly, but in those several minutes, it’s really worth it to stop and take pictures (at least it’s not as hard as waking up early in the morning and get out of the warm bed to catch the sunrise).

But it gets even better once the sky gets dark and the Christmas decorations lit up.

See what I mean?

December, you’re beautiful.