Our Rotovegas trip

After sitting on the couch for a couple of weeks Brandon was getting frustrated and needed a change of scenery. So we packed up the car and headed to Rotorua to visit Megan, James, Sophie and brand new baby Abby.

We had a great break away and although Brandon pretty much went from one couch to another he got a break from being at home and could talk to some other people (yeah a break from me!)


Amber and Sophie played really well. I was amazed at how much Amber thrived while we were there and how much she picked up from Sophie. The girls spent their days riding around the house on their bikes, doing the circuit I don't know how many times!The girls on their bikes

We went to the beach (lake front) one afternoon which was really nice. Sophie and Amber played in the waves together, loving every minute of it.

Megan and baby Abby

Sophie and Amber playing in the lake.










We decided to go for a ride up the gondola to the top of the big hill in Rotorua. It was a fun ride for Amber and she wasn't scared by the height at all. When we got to the top we had lunch and watched the luge riders hoon down the hill. I think Brandon was a little peeved that he could not take part.

Amber and I in the gondola

Amber and dad at the top eating lunch

Unfortunately our visit was over too soon and before we knew it was time to go home. We had a great time in Rotorua visiting the relies and meeting baby Abby for the first time. She is such a sweetie and so looks like her dad.

Me, Sophie and Amber - good bye photo

Brandon's motor bike accident

Well the new year celebrations didn't really get off to a good start. It was Brandon's turn this time to be the sober driver since I was heavily pregnant this time last year. It was my turn to see the new year in in style but unfortunately it all went pear shaped.

We were at Brandon's boss' house enjoying a swim in the pool and the warm summer day. At about 5.30pm Brandon decided to jump on his boss' two wheeler dirt bike and go for a quick ride around the paddock. So off he went.....round and round the paddock. I was standing on the deck with Amber in my arms watching him. Then Brandon turns towards the house and steers to miss a pipe but all of a sudden the bike skidded out from under him and he crashed into a barb wire fence.

Paramedics working on Brandon.
The fence he crashed into is in the background.
(click on the image to see the broken palings)

He traveled about 2 meters along the barb wire fence severely cutting his leg and arm as well as burning his leg on the muffler. He also broke two fence posts. The fence was not that sturdy so he actually hit the ground on the left side of his body and bounced back up. I saw the whole thing happen.

We all rushed over to him and quickly called the ambulance. The paramedics arrived about 15 minutes later, filled him up with morphine and took him to Masterton hospital.

Leg stitched up with mattress stitches at Masterton hospital.

Once at the hospital they cleaned his wounds and got a good look at the damage. Lucky for him he did not cut the artery or muscle in his leg, but the fence had cut a 20cm laceration across his thigh. They stitched his leg up in two layers with chunky mattress on the top. They tended to the other wounds (arm and burn) but they paled in significance compared to the laceration on his thigh.

Brandon's arm wound

The burn from the muffler on Brandon's calf.






So Brandon got to spend new years in the hospital on nearly the maximum dose of morphine while I worried like mad that he had done major damage and that he might loose his leg. Fortunately it was not that bad and the morning they loaded him with pain killers and discharged him.



We have since spent every second day at the doctors getting the dressings changed. A month on now and he's healed up nicely. The stitches have been removed from his thigh and he has to wear tape across the wound for months to help the skin and tissue strengthen. His arm has also healed well.

He's now off the crutches and back at work after having a month off to recover.

Brandon's complete leg injuries

Unfortunately he will have several scars as the barb wire gave him plenty of cuts (one on top of another), but in true boy fashion he thinks its cool to have scars....at least these ones have a pretty amazing story to go with them.