Epiphany House Family Journal January 2007

An Epiphany House family who's who:
Kathie and Dexter Lanctot, co-founders of Epiphany House Inc., are adoptive parents to Sonty Lanctot, age 12, Suky Lanctot, age 10, Ebony Lanctot, age 8, and Salinna Lanctot, age 7. Foster children include twin boys Lyle and Kyle, age 9. Daniel, 14 (to comply with confidentiality requirements the names of some DHS foster children are changed in this publication). In addition, Kathie's six birth children: Dennis, Courtney, Kelly, Patrick, Danny and Kevin McCunney. Dennis' spouse Kathy and their daughters' Nora Catherine McCunney, age 3 and Anna Claire McCunney, 4 months. Also, there is Lauren Derrington, fiancée to Courtney; Rachel Barrett, girlfriend of Patrick; Jim Pio, boyfriend to Kelly. Miss Marie and Miss Laura, Salinna's home nurses. Our pets include puppy, Nellie; cat, Oliver; Bunny, Milkshake; Parakeet; Repete, Cockatiel; Olive, a Turtle, Speedy, fish. We do occasional respite care for Kelly’s pooch, Molly.

On January 6th, 2007 we marked our 4th anniversary as an incorporated organization. We celebrated with a festive and well attended open house. The day was highlighted by a display of portraits of gorgeous kids waiting for adoption. These photographs were made available courtesy of the Philadelphia Heart Gallery. We were also lucky to have on hand prominent local singer song writer, Tom Mullian. Many of our guests were able to meet Nicky O’Keeffe, who came from Voorhees New Jersey to be with us for the day. Plans are in the works for us to adopt Nicky who is a medically needy teenager. Unfortunately, this occasion followed on the heels of the death of one of our friends and volunteers, Myra Callahan. Myra’s funeral was the day before the open house. 

In other happenings during the month, Sonty twice went to Harrisburg. Once to the Farm Show and the second time to sing with the Philadelphia Boys’ Choir at Governor Rendell’s inauguration. He complained at not being permitted to bring his Game Boy along.  Daniel went to the National Mall in Washington D.C. and climbed a tree for Peace, Suky caught dreams and went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Salinna baked muffins and Ebony perfected her Little Miss Sunshine dance routine.

January 2007

1st – New Year's Day. Heavy rains are flooding the yard. Our friend and Epiphany House volunteer, Myra Callahan dies. Suky has a dream that she finds her missing Game Boy. She says she is having happy dreams lately because of the dream catcher she has hung near her bed.

2nd – Kids return to school as Christmas break ends. The nation mourns President Ford. Ebony goes about mimicking scenes from Sponge Bob, "stupid jellyfish!" Dexter spends much of day with our friend Bernie Callahan making funeral arrangements for his wife, Myra. Suky, Daniel, Sonty, Ebony deliver Open House fliers in our neighborhood. 

3rd – Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman Speaker of the House in U.S. History.

5th – Ebony calls Danny a "Tweetie bird pencil face dirt ball." Ebony composes rather unique insults.

6th – Over 100 attend the open house. Nicky O'Keeffe, the medically needy teenager whom we hope to adopt, and his grandparents come to meet our family and friends. It is an astonishing 73 degrees and crocuses are blooming. A great gathering of kids play outside skateboarding, roller-blading or tossing footballs.

8th – Very sloppy day. Steady rain through the night does not yield to sunshine until mid-afternoon. Daniel and rubrics cube become inseparable.

9th – Daniel gets his first ever pair of glasses.

10th – Suky goes on field trip to The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Her sister Kelly is a chaperone. Suky buys gifts for her siblings.

11th – Sonty goes on field trip to Farm show in Harrisburg. He brings back no gifts for siblings. Dexter participates in street tableaux at Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia as part of the International Day to Shut Down Guantanamo. He too brings back no gifts.

Ebony in her Little Miss Sunshine Routine.

14th – Ebony learns Little Miss Sunshine dance routine. "Little Miss Sunshine" is now in competition for Sponge Bob among Ebony’s favorite DVDs.

15th – MLK Day. Sonty and Daniel volunteer on a service project at their school. Later with Ebony they attend an MLK observation with Brandywine Peace Community. Suky recovering from some bug.

16th – Sonty sings with Philadelphia Boys' Choir at Governor Rendell’s inauguration in Harrisburg. Once again Sonty does not bring home gifts for siblings.

17th – Doomsday clock set at 5 minutes to midnight.  http://www.thebulletin.org/minutes-to-midnight/  Sonty and Suky participate in bone study at Children's Hospital.

18th – Dexter learns that his wife read Herman Melville’s novel, Moby Dick, when she was in the 4th grade. She claimed not to have liked it. Meanwhile our 8 year old daughter is absorbed with Sponge Bob. At least they both deal with sea creatures. Daniel practices Karate kick in kitchen; hits and breaks cabinet door.

Suky and Ebony with new family member.

20th – New addition to E. House family. A 2 month old puppy that Kelly bought for us. Kathie had been sending in dog adoption applications for weeks with little results. Kelly decides to just purchase one outright for us from local pet store. Puppy is getting babied by the kids and we are now on a name search for her.

22nd – Our cat, Oliver, does not like her new sibling. Kathie buys the puppy a bumble bee chew toy. Salinna bakes scrumptious muffins at school.

24th – Because puppy often quivers and appears nervous, the name of Nellie has been suggested. It is gaining support from family members. Daniel and Dexter take Nellie for a walk along Schuylkill River. Surprise visit from Ebony's biological Aunt Brenda and older birth brother Freddy.

25th – Daniel helps Dexter repair the karate kicked kitchen cabinet door.

Daniel on a limb for peace.

27th – Daniel climbs his 400th tree on Washington Mall during anti-war rally in D.C. While he's out on a limb for peace, folks on the ground hand up cameras to him so he can get aerial view shots for them. A Philadelphia City Paper reporter features Daniel's tree climbing in a news article about the march. Meanwhile Prince Charles visits Philadelphia. We do not know of any trees climbed by the prince.

28th – Suky gets an extraordinary amount of math homework. Daniel and Sonty attend youth group meeting at Christ Church. Dad and Ebony socialize Nellie with dogs  in park at 2nd and Market Sts. in Philadelphia.

29th – Ebony while talking to Kelly about Kelly’s former boyfriend asks, “Why you no love ‘C’ anymore; because he smells like eggs?” Later, when Ebony sticks out her tongue at Kathie, she tells her mom she was just, “tasting her lips.”

31st – Sonty achieves distinguished honors at school but he is no match for Salinna’s muffins.

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