Hola!  Como esta usted?

My name is Epatha Graciela Constantine.  I am 11 years old and live with my family in Galveston, Texas.

I have my dad and step mom, as well as my grandmas (Abuela Carmine and Joylene) and two younger brothers, Carlos Miguel (8) and Evano Josue (5).  My grandpas are both gone: Grandpapa Evano went to be with the Lord two years ago; as for Grandpa Carlos, he died five years ago; I miss them both so much!).  My real mom died a year ago; she had cancer.  I miss her more than anybvody I know.  She was only 33, way too young.

Then my dad met Juliana six months ago, and it was instant love.  They got married three months ago, and life has been crazy at best, but things are finally starting to settle down, thank goodness.  Everything happened so fast.

We kids are getting used to Mama Juliana.  While she isn't our real mom, it is nice to have a mom again, even if she is only our step mom.  She's as good a cook as our real mom was, and it's nice to have someone ask about our day or tell us how much we are loved.  We kids really like her.  A lot!

I am going to be in the sixth grade come September, the day after Labor Day.  I have been having a fun summer: going to the beach (or to the Pleasure Pier) at any given opportunity, hanging out with my friends, going to Houston to see my aunt (Tia) Rosalinda or to go to the zoo, and enjoying the lazy, hazy days of summer in general.  Summer is my all time favorite season, and about two weeks ago, for the Fourth of July, we all piled into the van and drove to Galveston, to see the fireworks over the Gulf of Mexico.  The fireworks were really beautiful, and the music was hot, hot, hot!!  We had a BLAST (pun intended)!

When I grow up, I want to be a Marine, like my cousin, Alejandro, who just got back from his first tour of Afghanistan.  Thank God he came home in one piece, but to see him in his Marine uniform has made me decide to do the very same thing when I turn 18.  He looks so sharp!  And he's settled down considerably: before he went into the Marines, Alejandro used to run around with hooligans and act all wild and tough.  Now he is like a completely different person.  The way I think is this: if the Marines can settle a tough kid from the wrong side of the tracks down, then by God, I think I could do it, too.

I'd like to make the military my career.  That way, I'd get paid for loving what I do and help my country at the same time.  I think I could do that ...

Well, I hate to go, but the brothers are screeching up a storm; better see what's going on.  Take care and God bless; this is Epatha Constantine signing off!

~Epatha.  :)