Fall can be one of the best and worst times of the year. Mixed emotions can surface- should you be happy or sad about the hot summer days ending? Of course winter is cold and the roads are bad but it's such a joyous holiday season. There are many stages to the season that we go through in order to get from swimming in the summer to building my snow forts in the winter. The many stages of the season can be told best by America's favorite children's movies- Disney and Pixar.

Stage One: The first feeling of fall when it gets below 70 degrees in September

Stage Two: The end of September when you finally break out the sweaters and warm socks for the first time.

Stage Three: When you see the first pair of Ugg boots even though there is no snow in sight

Stage Four: October comes and you're the only one left still wearing shorts

Stage Five: The first really cold day where you wonder if fall is turning into an early winter...

Stage Six: ... and then realize you were wrong

Stage Seven: When you know a winter coat is too warm but a light coat is too cold

Stage Eight: When Halloween comes around

Stage Nine: After Halloween when the whole country is torn between whether or not it is okay to start celebrating Christmas

Stage Ten: When the leaves have mostly fallen and you're constantly walking over dead crunchy leaves

Stage Eleven: Hoping for a warm day when the weather is consistently in the 40s-50s

Stage Twelve: December draws closer and you realize that icy roads and snow storms are coming

Stage Thirteen: When fall ends and you simply must accept that you will survive through another winter and many more to come