Family Pictures

The pictures that we had taken the other night turned out awesome. She captured each child's personality. She took over 250 pictures so I am not going to include all of them. I will give a sampling of some of my favorite. I hope you enjoy them. And yes I do know that Alex is no in any of these. He is in some but is not smiling. When he is forty I will bring them out and make him laugh.

Happy Anniversary

Carl and I celebrate 10 years together today. Wow! I cannot believe it. He surprised me with flowers and a new ERGO baby carrier. I am so excited. I tried Sam in it and he cried at first till he looked and saw me. Then he just started smiling at me. I tried the infant insert and it was easier to put on than I thought it was going to be. The DVD helped out a lot. Also for Christmas I told Carl that I wanted good family pictures. A women from our church takes pictures. She came to the house, which was awesome. She spent an hour and a half just snapping pictures of all the family. We got some awesome shots. She is going to give a cd with all the pictures on it so we can order what we want. She only charged is $50 which I think is so worth it. The kids did great because we were at home where they could play and watch a movie and snack all while geting pictures. I will post pictures as soon as we get them in.

You Must See This (Especially Tara)

Found this link on craigslist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Saxon Math

Can I just tell you how much I love the new math program we are using. Alex is like a new kid when it comes to math. He has already improved so much after just two weeks of using the program. Today he was giving William answers to his flashcards (behind my back of course). I was so exctied that we all just ended up laughing and I gave him a big hug (after I explained cheating of course.) Nathan sits with us and he does the work with us. They love the repetition and the meeting books. I just wish I would have found this program sooner.

Still Here

Just wanted people to know I am still here. We have been dealing with well checks, Alex's asthma (finally under control) and laundry. I spent all day today putting up Christmas lights. Everyone here is okay after getting over colds. I am the last one to have it but you guys know as a mom we cannot slow down to be sick. Thanks for all the prayers while Alex was sick. It took putting him back on maintenance asthma medication and three doses of steroids and antibiotics to finally get him breathing normally. Every time he coughs I still panic. They suggested we do allergy testing to determine if something triggered the attack. They can do it now with a simple blood test. No more pin pricks and skin tests. Yeah!!!! Nathan went to see his behavioral specialist and I got yelled at big time. She said his speech delay is bad for his age and he should be in therapy at least twice a week. She said that he is not pronouncing the ending of any of his words unless prompted to. She also said he needs occupational therpay for his sensory problems and his handwriting. He has hardly any strength in his right hand because it is always in his mouth. I never noticed the weakness before until she pointed it out. He really does not use his right hand for anything except his thumb. Along with his loose joints and being right handed he needs therapy. We are trying to stay away from the public school system but can't afford private therapy. I have been doing research all week so I can start doing his therapy at home. So much for keeping this short. I hope you all have a great day today. Have fun opening presents. Yours are in the mail.

More Harvest Fest Pictures

I made sure that I got a good picture of everyone in their costumes. Last year I forgot until we arrived at church and it was dark. The pictures did not turn out well. I had so much fun making these. Mine had to be adjusted because it is hard to nurse in a dress like I orginally planned to make. Daniel was just too cute for words in his costume. Alex, who is normally so camera shy, actually was the first to volunteer to get his picture taken. It was such fun to do this as a family.

Zoo

I am trying to catch everyone up on the events of the past few weeks. Last weekend was too beautiful to not get outside. Carl and I have a membership to the NC Aquarium which allows us to get into zoos and aquariums all over the country, including our own NC Zoo. We went last weekend and had a blast. The boys loved all the animals. We started at the Africa end and walked back to the North America side. It really takes all day as the zoo is huge. The boys were upset because the polar bears were not on display. William also missed seeing the snakes and all the stream life animals as the zoo was getting ready to close. They have a huge play area where everything is made from recylced material. Walking on the rubber "mulch" was weird but the kids had fun flinging themselves all over the place. Samuel was great because he slept most of the time. I nursed him when we got there and then right before we left. The kids had fun and look forward to going back. Carl wants to take William for a Daddy and Me day to see the animals he missed.

Samuel

Okay people, stop complaining. Ha Ha. Here are some pictures of Samuel. It is hard to get ones of him by himself. He usually has a sibling attached to his side. Now you all can stop bugging me. Just kidding. We love you all and miss everyone lots.

Harvest Fest

Wow! It has been a while. I have been so busy. One of the reasons I was busy was because of harvest fest. That is what our church does instead of Trick or Treating. It is set up like a carnival. They have a puppet show and a presentation of the gospel. THen you get hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, and soda
(real healthy I know). Then they have games and rides for all the kids. It is so much fun. After last year of being the characters from Narnia the boys requested to be the characters from Lord of the Rings. With a few changes from last year's costumes the boys were all set. Esther just needed a little skirt to go over hers from last year. It was too short and I did not feel like making her a whole new costume. Some fabric and a little elastic and she was all set. I had to make Daniel a new costume and alter his from last year to fit Samuel. Carl requested to dress up too so I made costumes for both of us. He was Aragon and I was his elf love (can't remember or spell her name.) The costumes turned out so good and the kids had a blast. Carl has already decided that next year we are going as a basketball team. He will be the coach and Esther and I will be cheerleaders. People always say we are going for our own basketball team anyway. It took a lot of time and effort but it was worth it. It will be something the kids will always remember that mommy made their costumes each year. The kids like playing with their costumes all year and they last a lot longer than the cheap costumes you get out at the store. William is in fact wearing his to Sunday School this Sunday. His class is studying the armor of God. Each kid is to give a presentation of a specific piece of armor. William is doing the sword of the spirit and thought it would be cool to wear his costume.

Hey Mom! I'm Thankful for your son!

Today was my grocery shopping day. I had a headache all afternoon. I guess a newborn who will scream unless you are holding him and homeschooling five other children will do that to a woman. I really did not want to go but Carl said it was probably a good idea. Carl e-mailed me a list of things he needed at the store. The last item he wrote that he needed is why I am thankful for him. He said he needed to me to buy a card for his lovely wife to show how much he appreciated her. It made my day. So thanks mom for raising such a senstive and loving son. He really knows just when I need some encouragement.
I am also thankful for costumes that still fit from last year. I spent two months working on homemade Narnia costumes for Harvest Fest last year. They still fit and so with some subtle changes the kids are the characters from Lord of the Rings this year. Yeah for me for making them a bit big last year. The joy of simple things!

Precious Pictures

Alex took several hours to warm up to Samuel but now that he has he is the most gentle one. He always wants to just hold and cuddle. He is so sweet with him. He is a great big brother.


Esther is always right where Samuel is. She is always talking to him and "calming" him down whenever he cries. She can't stand to let him cry.


Daniel was the one I was most nervous about but he immediately started kissing and hugging him. Whenever I sit down to nurse he is right there beside me with one hand in his mouth and one hand on Samuel's head. I spend my day going "Daniel, leave your brother alone."



Nathan is such a sweetie. He is content just to sit and watch Samuel. Thumb in mouth and hand on his head just like he did with Esther and Daniel. I guess some things never change.


William was so excited. He was the first one in the door. Forget mommy and daddy, where's Samuel?


Am I a blessed woman or what?

A Short Labor - For Once

With Daniel's 48 hour labor still fresh in my mind I was very nervous about being induced this past Monday. I think I cried all night on Sunday which did not make matters any better. I was so tired by the time we got to the hospital. They started the pitocin and I just sat and sulked watching t.v. Carl was so great though. He made me get up and walk around the room. Well walk as much as all the wires would allow. They have to do continuous monitoring when induced. It was a good thing though because each time I stood up or walked Samuel's heart rate would drop. The only position that proved to be comfortable for me and Samuel was sitting in a chair. That is where I spent most of the labor. Carl just sat and rubbed my arms and hands. He was great. The contractions were intense and she checked me about 5:00. I was five cm. I was discouraged. I told Carl I absolutely could not do this for another day. I started to really feel bad around an hour later and was checked again. Still 6 cm. Carl and I discussed about pain management. I in no way was going to get an epidural. Been there last time and will never do it again. We decided on some i.v. drugs and I was able to relax between contractions. I think it was just enough to kick start things. I went from 6 to 10 in an hour. The midwife left the room to check on another patient and two contractions later the nurse was yelling for her to come back. I forgot what an overwhelming feeling it is when you HAVE to push. I only pushed for 8 minutes but they were eventful. UNC is a teaching hosptial so the room is always crowded. When my water broke there was some meconium so the doctors had to be on call for Samuel. His head came out quickly and the cord was wrapped so tight wround his neck that they could not budge it. His shoulders got stuck just about the time my strength disappeared. Carl told me later that Samuel face was turning blue. I just remember pushing as hard as I could and he just popped out. I rember crying and looking at the clock saying how thankful I was I did not have to endure another hour of labor. They of course swept Samuel away and had to stick that awful tube down his throat to clear him all out. He was fine and so was I when I heard him cry for the first time. It took quite a while to get me all cleaned up. THe placenta did not want to come out. I ended up with several stitches but I did not care at this point. Just give me my baby. He had to get his suger tested because of his size. When they weighed him I could not see all of the reading. I only saw the 11 oz. part and figured 8 or 7 lbs. When they told me 9 lbs. I about fell off the bed. Wow! Even I was amazed I had pushed that big of a child out. No wonder his shoulders got stuck. Carl says he is going to be a linebacker. After about 20 minutes I was finally able to hold him. I put him on my chest and the greedy little guy immediately latched on and started to nurse. Yeah! That's about it. Eleven hours of labor. Eight minutes of pushing. A huge baby boy. God is awesome isn't he? Now I just need to get used to counting to six instead of five.

No Riteing on the Wal

Carl and I thought you all might get a kick out of this picture. William wrote this note on the wall to discourage his siblings from...writing on the wall. It has now been painted over but Carl took a picture to save the moment.


Here is video of the fishing trip mentioned in the previous post.

Take A Child Outside Week

They have started this thing in NC. They actually have to have a week to encourage parents to take there children outside. It is pretty comical considering the Trautman family. Our boys are outside all the time getting dirty and gathering creeatures. We just recently put up four bird feeders in the back yard. We have a hummingbird feeder too. The hummingbirds will actually come fly around the window and stare at you when the feeder is empty. It is like he is saying "Hey you inside that house. Put more food in my feeder." The kids love to figure out the kinds of birds that come and feed. Anyway all this week has been Take a Child OUtside Week. Carl needed no encouragement. So far this week the boys have beeen fishing at a local pond that is owned by a friend at church. They each caught a bunch af fish and they loved it. I am still washing smelly clothes and shoes becasue Alex and Nathan decided to explore the pond fully clothed. I almost threw up when they came home. My pregnancy nose is still running full force. I told Carl no fish in the house. THey wanted to cut them up and eat them but I think it was too much for Carl. The kids were also at the park yesterday while I had my ob appointment. I arrived at the park and Carl pulls a tied up sock out of the van. You guessed it. The boys had found a lizard and wanted to take it home. I love life with boys. At least I have Esther although she was just as exited about the lizard as the boys were. The kids have had a good time outside this week and I am sure that Carl has something planned for Saturday, if I haven't had this baby yet. I just thought all of you would get a kick out of Take a Child OUtside Week. I thought it was a joke at first but it is real. Some guy has written a book even about how our children today have a "nature deficiency" or something like that. Thank you mom and dad Trautman for instilling a love of nature and outside in your boys. It is rare now a days. Pray for all of us women who love your boys as we step out of our comfort zones into the wonderful world of mud, fish, snakes, lizards, birds, bugs and the list goes on and on. I am getting used to the words "Mommy, look what I found outside. Can we keep it?"

Go Hurricanes

No not the weather phenomenon. The Carolina hockey team. Carl called me on Friday morning to say that someone at his work had given him four free tickets to the game. HE decided to have a boy's night out with the older three. I met him after work. I think the Lord planned it all perfectly because on the way there Daniel threw up in the car. It was comical seeing a pregnant woman with a very bad gag relfex trying to clean up a screaming two year old. I finally did it and then Carl showed up. I told him he would have to clean the car seat because I had done all I could do all ready. He just laughed. If we had all planned to go the whole evening would have been ruined. Carl took the boys and I headed home to put Daniel immediateyl to bed with just water. He did not even complain about not having dinner. Esther and I had a girl's night just eating our dinner in front of the t.v. She loved it because she got to eat on a television try that is just reserved for daddy. After I put her to bed I spent a relaxing evening by myself. I got the play by play of the game becasue the boys kept calling every time something happened. They had a great time and were so excited. The hurricanes actually wone 3-0. It was a great bonding time for the boys and Carl.

An Extra 3 Months

I figured it out last night. If I go two weeks late with Samuel that will be an extra 12 weeks of pregnancy for me all together. That is 3 months! I just thought that was an interesting fact. It is depressing when your midwife tells you that there is no reason to check for dialation since I always go late. I hope that Samuel comes soon so I can attend my own son's baptism. If I get induced on the 1st that means Samuel (with my history of LONG inductions) won't be born until Wednesday. I won't even be home a day or two before William's baptism. I am praying that Samuel is born soon so I have time to recover before the 7th. I am keeping myself busy doing housework. I am trying to get evrything ready so I have a clean house. I go grocery shopping tomorrow and Carl just called to make sure I buy easy to fix stuff. The kids luckily are not picky eaters. They are content with chicken and potates every night. I don't know what I would do without my older boys. They have been such a help this pregnacny. William can even get Daniel out of his crib and changed and dressed in the morning. What a blessing each of my children are including this stubborn little one who just likes it nice and warm where is for now.

Rain!!

A recent weather report down here said that we would need two feet of rain to get us out of the drought that we are in. We had gone 19 days without rainfall until last night. The remnants of Hurricane Humberto came through with force. It started raining around noon and continued on and off all last night. The only problem was that with the rain came wind, hail, and a few tornados. I sat and watched the news from 6-9 last night because the hardest hit areas were very close to us. One of the tornados was about a mile from our house. We never saw anyting or heard anything and from what I understand there wer no injuries or that much damage. Trees and fences mostly. One tree fell on a nursing home and praise the Lord there were no injuries. A camper was blown right off a truck in the parking lot of where I do my grocery shopping. There were several structure fires caussed by the awesome lightening. The major highway down here also turned into a skating rink. They said the road had goone so long without moisture that the oil on the road just made it so no one could stop. We ended up with a 17 car pile up that led to another 5 car pile up behind it going one way. Once they got that cleaned up there was another pile up on the other side of the highway involving a day care bus this time. Praise the Lord no one was seriously injured. I was glad to have Carl come home safely last night from work and to have a sturdy house. Thank goodness for the rain. We ended up getting over 2 inches. No where near 2 ft. but every little bit helps down here. I think as christians here on NC we need to be a little bit more specific in our prayers for rain. No tornados next time Lord.

Impatience

I have officially hit the "I am so tired of being pregnant" stage. I will be 39 weeks tomorrow and I am so ready to meet this baby. Last night I had contractions all night but they were the annoying kind that are just enough to keep you up but not enough to get anyhting started. With my history of going two weeks late (all five times) I am getting very edgy and depressed. It is still hot down here. Yesterday it was in the mid 90's. Carl got promoted to major yesterday and I went to Fort Bragg to pin his new rank on. First of all it is an hour and half drive with five kids in the car. When we got there we sat in the car for an hour waiting for Carl to get out of a meeting. Not fun. Then we had to drive to the rifle range where the ceremony was going to be. Weird place for a promotion ceremony! Then we had to wait another hour while they got everything ready. NOt fun. Then after the ceremnoy we had to wait another 45 mintues until Carl was released. Not fun. We got back to Garner just in time to go to choir practice at church at 4:30 only to find out that it was not to start until 5:00. We just let the kids run around the grass outside of church to expend some energy. By the time we got home from church at 8:00 i was cranky and my ankles were really swollen. I had no water to drink the whole day, only drinks with caffeine in them. Not a good idea on a hot day. Carl and I both ended up falling asleep before the kids. When I drifted off they were still talking in their rooms, quietly! I guess I just need prayer that I will stop snapping at the kids and Carl and just realize that Samuel will come in God's perfect timing. I told Carl that he is not allowed to touch me in the months of November and December ever again. Ha Ha! I want a winter pregnancy next time around. Or else move to Alsaka. Speaking of hot weather please pray for rain down here. It is really becoming a huge problem. All the lakes are drying up and people still are not cutting down on their water usage. There is even talk of putting people in variable rates where you get charged huge amounts if you go over the average daily allotment for your home. With a family of eight that could be a problem for us in laundry alone. There is also the rule now that if you get caught too many times breaking the water restriction they will turn off your water. We are not even in the part of the state where it is the worst. The mountains are hurting worse than we are. Pray for rain. Now that I got completely off topic. I always tend to write in a stream of conscienceness style anyway. Pray Samuel will come soon so I do not have to be induced, again. Thanks for letting me rant. It feels good to just talk about this all instead of letting it all build up and explode. Like I ever let that happen (HaHA).

The Ocean

I love the ocean. Always have and always will. It is a different story when you have kids at the ocean. Carl and I decided to go to the shore yesterday. We went to the NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher. The kids had a blast. We ended up joining. They have a program where you can use your membership at other zoos and aquariums in the country. The Baltimore Zoo is included so the kids want to take a trip up there sometime. There was a beach access right next door to the aquarium and Carl wanted to take the kids. He first had all three boys out there together. I was a basket case. The kids kept going out further and further and Carl only has two hands. The waves were pretty rough and the current kept pushing them further away from me. I was trying to be calm but I was nervous. Finally I think it got to be too much for Carl. He decided that taking them out one at a time into the deeper part was better. I could calm down then. I watched the four others while each child got a turn riding the waves with Daddy. They had a blast. It was the first time in the ocean for Esther, Daniel, and Nathan (he was six months old when we were at the ocean last time.) They also had a good time just playing in the sand or should I say rolling around in it. We were there for a while and then enjoyed a nice leisurely dinner and came home. We had not done anything like this as a family in a long time. I think I did okay in regards to not freaking out about watchign five kids in the ocean. I was nervous but had a good time. Next time I think I am going to bring reinforcements so I can relax a little bit more. It was quite comical me jumping out of the beach chair everytime the boys got pushed over by a wave. My big nine month pregnant body was tired by the end of the day. I slept through the night and did not have to go to the bathroom one time. I guess my body just needed rest.

In Need of Prayer Again

Alright, I had two appointments today. The first was for Daniel. He has some speech concerns like Nathan (not nearly as bad) and the doctor just wanted a speech pathologist to just look at him. Well at UNC (our doctors) you can't see the speech people until you get checked out by audiology to rule out hearing problems. We had an appointment this morning and they did a test on his ear drums and found out that both ear drums are not responding the way that they should. The right ear drum especially had no movement. He can still hear okay. It did take him a while to respond to the softer sounds they tested him for. The audiologist said it could be as simple as an ear infection or just a lot of fluid in his ear. She did say it was an unsual time of year to have as much fluid around his ears as he did. She said it is normally a winter thing. I need to call his regular doctor to see what they want to do. They might want to send us to an ENT to make sure everything is okay. So I know it is an unusual request but be praying he just has an ear infection and nothing more serious.
My appointment was later in the afternoon. Daniel and I just went to the mall and walked around in between appointments. HE loved just having mommy time. When they checked me at my apoointment they found that this little guy has flipped once again to transverse. In fact this time he is an even more precarious position. His feet are towards the cervix and his back is towards my chest. This means that if my water does break the cord is at high risk for prolaspe. I got the whole scary lecture about not doing anything to put myself in labor. I was also told that if my water does break to go immediately to ER, not even to drive down to UNC (an hour away). It was kind of a scary apoointment and made me nervous. Next week I will be monitored again and if he has not moved we need to decide if we just want to try a version, induce, and try to deliver right away. They are afraid he is just going to keep flipping back. They don't want to take any chances. The risk of a prolasped cord they said is very high especially since this is number six and things tend to move faster. I am scared and nervous but I do have a sense of peace. This baby is lying this way for a reason and maybe a c-section is the only way this child is to be delivered safely. I am so glad that the technology is out there to check things like this. I just remember how lucky we were with Alex and his cord being so short. Maybe this little one is the same way and the Lord is protecting him by keeping him right where he needs to be. I know this is all in the Lords plan and everything will work out according to his will. Just pray that I do not get discouraged or stressed. I know this is long but I do have one more thing. My mother has not been doing well. Her lupus has beeen flarring up. She has been suffering with vertigo badly and is almost to the point where she can't function. The doctor thinks it might be just a really bad sinus infection. She has already been through one dose of antibiotics and she started a new round today. If she is not feeling better after this round she goes to see a neurologist to rule out something more major. Again, I know this sounds weird, but pray that it is a sinus infection and not something more serious. She feels bad because she is trying to help me out with the kids a lot. She is the one to watch the kids when I go into labor. Just pray for healing for her. My dad can't take care of all the kids by himself. His heart problems have returned.
So just pray and pass these requests along to our church family up there. We love you all.

Go,Go Jonah

The kids had their summer musical performance last night. They did Jonah this year. Last year they did Esther. The kids did an awesome job. Alex actually stood up there the entire time and sang. Everything ran smoothly which I was worried about. At the dress rehersal on Saturday three of my girls who had speaking roles did not know their lines. We only had one mess up last night on lines. I was the drama director by the way. The lady who ran it set it up as a dinner theater so we had an intermission and everything. It was a full scale music with lights and sound and sets and the whole nine yards. I love going to a church where we can do things like this. My mom said that they are lucky if get someone to help the kids sing one song. The kids had so much fun and loved every minute. William actually had a singing solo and a speaking part. He was one of the sailors. Carl worked sets and also had a speaking part. He was the captain. He was hilarious. Who knew my husband could act. Ha Ha. During the storm scene with Jonah being thrown out the boat there was a real storm outside that knocked out of sound system for a second. You should have seen the sound people running around trying to fix everything. All in all it was an awesome night. Everyone had fun and the kids can't wait to see what bible character they are doing next year. Neither can I.

You Have To Read This!

I found this on the site Well Tell Me and you have to read it. Anyone who has ever been shopping with children will find it hilarious. For those of you who have not, this is really how it is. Here is the link.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675
I read it to Carl and the kids and they just were rolling on the floor. I even printed it out so I could have it later to remind that I am not the only mother who has kids who do this in stores. I am so thankful Carl works it out that I go grocery shopping by myself. My friends all laugh when I get excited about grocery shopping. Reading this they will understand why. Plus I like the rush I get when I come under budget. Ha Ha!

POwer of Prayer

When people found out about the baby not being in the right position they spread the word. People in NC,MD, VA, and CO all started praying. Carl and I had the opportunity to go to a prayer meeting early Tuesday morning. Every person there (about 25) prayed that the baby would turn. At my appointment she started feeling and said with an astonished look that she thought the baby had turned. She did a quick ultrasound and the baby was exactly where he was supposed to be. She was amazed that he had turned. The midwife really believed that he was not going to turn. Talk about the power of prayer. Thanks to all who prayed for our little Samuel.

Please Pray this Baby Turns

I had an ob appointment today. She felt the baby was not lying head down. She did a quick ultrasound and sure enough the stubborn boy is transverse. She is giving me a week to turn this kid on my own and then I get scheduled for am external aversion. I am not looking forward to that. Carl has been encouraging me. The first thing he said when I called and told him was that the baby was going to turn and that I did not need to worry about it. I think I am going to spend the rest of the week on my hands and knees doing pelvic rocks. I really don't want to end up with the aversion or a c-section. I have never had this problem with any of them before. I have to admit I am nervous. The midwife said that he looks really big. She kept asking me how big all the other were. She said if they are really big it is harder for them to turn. I need all your prayers so this baby will turn. She told me I am not allowed to take anything that would help put me in labor. Normally by this point in the pregnancy I am drinking tea and taking EPO. Since I go late anyway I like to do all I can to prepare for labor. She told me no way should I do anything until the baby turns head down or I will have to have a c-section. It was such an encouraging appointment! Just pray for my faith level that it would increase and that I would not get discouraged about this all. I know it will all work out according to God's plan. Oh, by the way. Carl finally decided on a name for this little one, Samuel. A middle name has not been chosen yet. I like Levi.

Consequences of Disobedience

Things always seem to go wrong when Carl is away. We got home from church this afternoon and I went upstairs to change. It is like 100 degrees outside with high humidity. I walked into the kitchen five minutes later and William informed me that Alex had blood all over his hand. I found out that he was trying to open some candy that he received in Sunday School. I had told him to wait until I could do it for him. He decided to try it himself with a kitchen knife. The knife sliced his finger open. It was the kind of wound that I knew he would reopen every time he bumped it. Off we went to Urgent Care, all five kids in tow. They got us in right away and luckily he did not need stitches. They cleaned it out real good and glued it. The nurses told me that the kids were so good. And they were. I was impressed. What a testimony to all the hard work we as parents put into training our children in the ways of the Lord. One nurse told me that the night before they had three kids in who tore the place apart. It was a lesson for me and the kids in several ways. First of all that disobedience has consequences. For me it taught me that the hard work we all do as mothers is rewarded and is a testimony to those around us. People are always watching large families to see how they work. What a light for Christ we can be to a dark world.
On a serious note. While Carl was away this weekend he tried to meet up with a family from his days in Amway. He was driving right past their house and called to see if they could get together. When he called he found out that the wife has brain and spine caner. She had some problems a while back with a tumor but now she has cancer. Their names are Monty and Luanne Wilson. They have three kids , two girls and a boy. They are a little bit older than all our kids but not by much. PLease pray for this family. They are a christian family so that is wonderful. We just want to lift them up in prayer. As a mom I can't imagine what thoughts must be going through her head.

Tales of A Reserve Wife

Carl is in Charlotte all this weekend. For those of you not from North Carolina it is the largest city in NC. It is about 3 hours from where we live. He was meeting with the Battalion soldiers this weekend. He actually has two drills this month. The other one is his normal battle readiness that meets at Fort Bragg. He then has one the first weekend of September. At least it is extra money. He even got a raise because he was just promoted to major. The kids have been extra wild today. They always seem to do that when Carl is gone. They know he can't come home to discipline them. It is now 10:30 and two of the boys are still up. They have been in trouble all day. Esther even had to go to bed early. I guess she needed extra sleep. She fell asleep before 7:30. Church tomorrow should be interesting. It is hard to keep the kids occupied during church. During the evening service we only have nursery for Daniel. Four kids in the service, all by myself, is a lot to handle. I keep thinking back to when Carl was in Kuwait. I could not have handled it without my mom and dad. I am thankful for them everyday. I pray for the families of active duty and reserve soldiers every day. God bless them. Please remember to pray for them.

I Am So Tired of Being Tired

I have tried to do way to much while the kids have been away. I wanted to really deep clean the house but I forgot how tired you get at 32 weeks pregnant. I keep having to take breaks. I still am not done putting the house back together after the painting Carl did. I went grocery shopping today and came home and collasped after putting everything away. Normally the kids and Carl help me with the groceries but Carl is golfing tonight with some friends from work. Just bringing the groceries into the house was a chore as the heat and humidity are back. I keep having to remind myself to take it easy. The downstairs does look awesome. We painted two walls the same tan color as the living room and the third wall the same blue as the kitchen. It looks really good with the open floor plan to only have the two colors. I will have to take pictures. The family room looks less like a day care now and more like a home. I wonder how the kids are going to react? I need to stop trying to get so much done and just relax. The kids don't care if the house if perfectly clean when they come home. I need to take advantage of this last day without children to just take some time for myself. It is just hard to do. PLease pray that I will stop worrying over not getting everything done.

I Finally Figured It Out

Okay guys. I finally figured out how to send you guys an invitation to view this thing. I was about ready to give up on the dumb thing. I really want this all to work out as I love looking at your blogs. It is such a neat way to keep in touch. It has been a very busy week here. I cleaned the whole downstairs on Friday only to have Carl call and say he wanted to paint the family room. My downstairs is now covered in drywall dust and there is no where to move. We are relegated to eating in the front room as my kitchen table is holding all my books and toys. It looks awesome though (the paint I mean.) Carl does an awesome job painting. He is somewhat of a perfectionist. Hopefully we will get it all cleaned up before the kids come home. I really miss the kids. The house is way to quiet and Daniel does not know what to do with himself. Next week should be fun getting the kids back in to the schooling schedule. I can't wait to hug them all.

Hello Fellow Trautman's

Let me just say that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blogs. What a neat way to keep in touch. How come we did not think of this before. I will probably be talking to you guys about how to do this. I am one of those computer illiterate people. Just bear with me if I mess up. Today was one of those days when you have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Esther's birthday is Wednesday and I wanted to do something special for her. We just got back from Disney and so she is on a princess kick. Today I started making her a quilt. It turned out pretty good considering I had to make it all up as I went along. Next time I will buy a book and just follow the directions. Mondays are busy anyway for me. It is the only day I do not watch the two extra kids. All my cleaning has to be done on Mondays because the two I watch cannot be left for a minute by themselves. They are very high maintenance. I got cleaning done in the morning and worked on the quilt this afternoon. The boys want to know when I am going to make their quitls. I told them I would make little quilts for their stuffed animals. They werre so excited and sat and played with the scraps of fabric while I sewed. I will have to post a picture of all the quilts when we are done.