Omie said, "Erica helped make this a very special tree.  Come tell everyone about it, Liebchen."
   Erica was embarrassed because everyone was quiet and looking at her.  At first she didn't know what to say.  She walked over to Omie and they stood to­gether looking at the Christmas tree.
      Erica pointed to the cookies hanging on the tree, the ones she had decorated to go along with Grandmother Emma's story.
      "That's supposed to be Omie's grandmother and great-grandparents.  They came to Texas from Germany over a hundred years ago.  Grandmother Emma and her parents were some of the first settlers in New Braunfels.  All the cookies on the tree are parts of the story of Emma's journey.  The tent shows how they had to camp out because they didn't have a house.  The wagon is for how they traveled from the Texas coast to New Braunfels.  Here's Prince Carl.  The snowflake is for the sign that convinced him that this would be a good place for the settlers.  I helped Omie make these cookies and some of the other cookies we ate tonight.  I'm glad she let me help.  I learned a lot about our family from the stories Omie told me.  And it helped me feel better about moving to a new town."
   Erica hugged Omie.
   "Merry Christmas, Omie."
   "Merry Christmas, Liebchen."

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