Category Archives: AnnaLeah and Mary

Children of the Heavenly Father

I always find this hard to sing in church — today was no exception. We sang it at my dad’s funeral and at AnnaLeah’s and Mary’s.

Father Daughter Dance 2.18.09 009

Two sisters sing Children of the Heavenly Father together. They have sung it many times and could do it in their sleep. This has special meaning as the duet is sung with a background of photos featuring their two younger sisters who are now, truly, with their Heavenly Father.

Children of the Heavenly Father
Safely in His bosom gather
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given

God His own doth tend and nourish
In His holy courts they flourish
From all evil things He spares them
In His mighty arms He bears them

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever
Unto them His grace He showeth
And their sorrows all He knoweth

Though He giveth or He taketh
God His children ne’er forsaketh
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy

Lo their very hairs He numbers
And no daily care encumbers
Them that share His ev’ry blessing
And His help in woes distressing

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers
Your Protector never slumbers
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foe man must surrender.

Carolina Sandell-Berg

http://www.semicolonblog.com/?p=5907

Request for Extension of Public Comment Period on Single Unit Truck Rulemaking Process

After hearing that several groups were hoping that they could have more time (beyond the current deadline of September 21) to prepare a Public Comment on the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) on Underride Protection of Single Unit Trucks, I contacted NHTSA and filed a request to extend the Public Comment period.

The agency replied that they are considering my request. It usually takes at least 10 calendar days for such a process. I hope that this helps with providing useful information but does not lead to unnecessary delay of the needed rulemaking.

Trip North May 2015 035

Photo by me of a Single Unit Truck I saw on the expressway a few months ago.

Note the wimpy rear underride guard.

Donate now & support Underride Research to Prevent Underride and Save Lives:  https://www.fortrucksafety.com/

Innovative combined side & rear guard promises better underride protection

One of our Underride Research funding goals is to cover the costs of crash testing at IIHS ($25,000) of an innovative underride prevention system designed by Aaron Kiefer, a forensic engineer (he does crash reconstructions) here in North Carolina. Jerry and I went to see his prototype a few weeks ago. Very cool. It combines side & rear guard protection.

See his Public Comment on the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) for underride protection on Single Unit Trucks posted today on the Federal Register:  http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NHTSA-2015-0070-0013

Underride guard design by Aaron Kiefer 059

Donate here to support crash testing to verify the effectiveness of Aaron’s vital invention: https://www.fortrucksafety.com/

“One Family’s Quest to Improve Truck Safety” by Kevin Matthews at Care2 The Petition Site

After the success of the AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety Petition in 2014 on The Petition Site, we went back to Care2 where it was hosted online and gave them an update on our efforts. They decided to write an article on our safety advocacy efforts.

It was published this morning: http://www.care2.com/causes/one-familys-quest-to-improve-truck-safety.html .

I am thankful for the many people who are working together with us to make our roads safer.  We appreciate each one.

Public Comment Period ends September 21 for ANPRM on underride protection for Single Unit Trucks (SUTS)

There have been some comments added to the Public Comments on the Federal Register for the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making on rear underride protection for Single Unit Trucks (SUTS).

You can see the comments here:  http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;dct=FR+PR+N+O+SR;rpp=10;po=0;D=NHTSA-2015-0070

The Public Comment period is currently scheduled to end on September 21, 2015. We encourage you to add your comment to this process to indicate support for the inclusion of Single Unit Trucks in the requirements for underride protection.

Here are some suggestions on writing comments:  https://annaleahmary.com/2015/08/thoughts-on-making-a-public-comment-on-rulemaking-for-single-unit-truck-underride-protection-ends-september-21/

Also, please consider donating to our underride research effort.

Donate & Spread the Word using our new website for AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety:  https://www.fortrucksafety.com/

Underride Research Meme

Underride Guards: a topic of conversation on TruckingInfo.com

Underride guards have been a topic of conversation over the months (many of them now since our crash) at TruckingInfo.com:

Why Better Underride Guards, and Maybe Other Stuff, Are Worth It
June 3, 2013,  http://www.truckinginfo.com/blog/trailer-talk/story/2013/06/why-better-underride-guards-and-maybe-other-stuff-are-worth-it.aspx

NHTSA to Issue New Rules on Underride Guards
July 11, 2014,  http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/safety-compliance/news/story/2014/07/nhtsa-to-issue-new-rules-on-underride-guards.aspx

NHTSA to Upgrade Truck Underride and Conspicuity Rules
July 20, 2015,  http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fleet-management/news/story/2015/07/nhtsa-initiates-upgrade-of-truck-underride-and-conspicuity-rules.aspx

Crash Argues for Better Impact Guards, and Better Driving
August 14, 2015,
 http://www.truckinginfo.com/blog/trailer-talk/story/2015/08/rear-end-crash-argues-for-better-impact-guards-and-better-control-of-one-s-car.aspx

(Just a note: It doesn’t matter who is at fault in these kinds of crashes of a smaller vehicle into a larger truck; if the underride guards could prevent the smaller vehicle from riding under the truck, the tragedy of death and horrific injury could be avoided.)

Underride Research MemeSupport Underride Research/Donate Now: https://www.fortrucksafety.com/

I discovered a new pastime: Frisbee/Disc Golf Course.

Mary loved to play. Life was to be enjoyed–at every opportunity.

Lately, I have been taking morning walks and have discovered a wonderful frisbee/disc golf course. There are numerous “tees” around the city, and I only came across a small portion of them.

Frisbee Disc Course 013Frisbee Disc Course 026

http://rockymountdg.com/?page_id=45

Part of the course was in a wooded area. Walking there filled me with peace but also with a knowledge that Mary would have loved it and might even have taken on the challenge with me of doing the whole course someday. That will never happen now.

The other day, my grandkids had fun walking a wee little bit of the Rocky Mount frisbee golf course–using their foam rocket launchers instead of frisbees. We all had fun. But their grandma simply doesn’t have Mary’s imaginative playfulness or youthful exuberance and spontaneity.

Another disc golf course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7UnUbbtFBc

And here is a video showing some disc golf technique. I can just see Mary watching this on her computer to figure out how to improve her frisbee throwing skills.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4ozihP00AA

rocky mount 2012 227rocky mount 2012 228

 

 

Picture 055Picture 058Picture 109picture 259picture 263picture 262Picture 056 picture 265Picture 702Picture 281Wedding veil practice 001Wedding veil practice 005Wedding veil practice 013Wedding veil practice 014

 

“And with your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye. Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory’s side.”

When Mary and AnnaLeah were about 5 and 9, we danced together to the song Come to Jesus (Chris Rice). We didn’t get it on video (at least, I can’t find it), but we do have some photos. And quite a few years later (around 2010 or so), their older sister choreographed a dance to that same song for a group of little girls; we have a practice session for that on video.

Yesterday, I created a Youtube video of those little girls for their moms to see. And today, I added the photos of Mary and AnnaLeah dancing before the Lord–missing them dreadfully but thankful that they could “fly to Jesus, and live!”

Come to Jesus

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden’s lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall…so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can’t contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory’s side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

by Chris Rice, http://tinyurl.com/ozqgpx4

Minolta DSC

Purple balloons leavinggetting farther away patch of blue

How fragile life is. . .

GWMemorial-149

This morning, I was taking a walk in the woods and saw a beautiful delicate & tiny lavender flower. I thought, “How fragile life is!” And I wept at how “easily” AnnaLeah & Mary lost their earthly lives. I am so thankful for the many minutes & hours & days & weeks & months & years that we had them with us and they got to enjoy life.

Earlier this morning, I had been remembering the time Jerry and I had taken Mary to a little lake in Rochester, MN, on Labor Day (2012). After 5 years in brown, arid West Texas, she was so delighted to be living someplace where she could have such fun in water. Jerry and I are so glad that we took her there that day.

How “easily” abortion robs a human of life. Who do we think we are to take life so lightly? Why do we think that it is our place to have a say in who will have life and who will not?

http://julieroys.com/gianna-jessen-asks-congress-if-abortion-is-about-womens-rights-then-what-were-mine/

Waiting to launch an important project–like waiting for a baby to be born!

Waiting to launch this project is like being pregnant and having the due date pass and people asking if the baby’s been born yet. False alarms. Eagerly expectant.

“. . . and Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith, and do not doubt, you shall not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it shall happen. And everything you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” Matthew 21

I’m ready to get this project underway. I can hardly wait to watch it unfold!

LOGO AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety