So few people want large families these days.  Most of the results I find by googling are opposed to having kids or claim people who do are just talking themselves into it and really don't want to.  Why do so many Trads here have lots of kids and what's so great about it?  What about sacrifice?  Does it take so much of your time, energy and money that you are missing out on life?  Are people mean to you, when you go out with your kids?  Do your neighbors look down on you now?  Are you scared how your kids will turn out as adults?  

As my sagely Grandmother-in-Law says it takes as much time to raise one kid as it takes to raise four. (That’s how many she had)

As for me - I only have 3 (so far) so I can’t answer the large family questions

While I certainly can’t answer (so far only three), my wife’s Oma had 14 children and her insights were truly inspiring. Both her and her husband (both now have died) readily told everyone that being a parent, you must rely on God for everything and that He will always provide what you need. Take it one day at a time, be faithful and God will provide. 

Two stories to illustrate. 

Once, my wife asked her Oma whether she wished she had another 15th child. And the response was no, but I couldn’t live without any one of them. 

Second, months before we were married, her uncle asked how many children we planned to have. We simply stated as many as God sends us. To which Oma got very excited, and in her loud Dutch accent started telling us “That’s right! That’s right! You have your fun, and God will take care of the rest!” 

And yes, she really told us to have our fun. 

So few people want large families these days.  Most of the results I find by googling are opposed to having kids or claim people who do are just talking themselves into it and really don't want to.  Why do so many Trads here have lots of kids and what's so great about it?  What about sacrifice?  Does it take so much of your time, energy and money that you are missing out on life?  Are people mean to you, when you go out with your kids?  Do your neighbors look down on you now?  Are you scared how your kids will turn out as adults?  

Hello Anonymous-
Here is my experience:
1) We have lots of kids to obey God, and show ourselves docile to His providence;
2) What's great about it is that they make us better people (by thinking about them instead of ourselves), and our sacrifices for them help us get to heaven;
3) Sacrifice is the core issue: Those who don't want large families usually contrive excuses from a worldly perspective.  Jesus said those who did not take up their cross, follow him, and do penance, would not see the kingdom of heaven.  For most married people, the burdens of parenthood (and all the associated stresses) are the crossed Jesus is sending you for your sanctification.  If you shrug off those crosses, you will likely not save your soul (with many exceptions, of course!);
4) Yes, parenting takes much of your time, money, and energy (especially the latter).  If I only had two kids, I could be driving a corvette, have a cabin in the woods, etc.  And perhaps some day I will have those things.  But I do not prize them above fidelity to the purpose of Catholic marriage.  If I ended up living in a trailer park, but my family were all in the state of grace, I would be content.  You have to be vigilant in warding off a worldly and secular view of life!
5) Yes, people are mean to my wife all the time, and yes, even the neighbors look down on us.  That's part of the cross.  If you ever notice the Jєωs and Muslims are taking over, it is precisely because they are more committed to their false religions -and live them daily- more than we of the one true religion tend to live ours: Of course they will look down on us!  "No servant is greater than his master...if they persecuted me, they will persecute you."  Consequently, if you are not being persecuted in some way, it is a sign that you are not living your faith (and are shrugging off the crosses Jesus is sending you for your salvation).
6) Your last question, I do not really understand: Living this way (i.e., Catholic) is the only reason for my confidence in the way my children will turn out.  They will spend their lives trying to retain grace, and their strength of character will protect them from many of the temptations and sins of so-called normal children: Drugs; impurity; worldliness; eventual damnation.
My advice to you is this:
You need to think more about God than yourself, and the rest will follow.
Without that, you have only hell fire to look forward to.

Attaining Heaven is mostly about learning to deny your own will and follow God's. For most married people, the path God has designed to help you to that end is children.

If left to your own accord, you'd choose your own will most of the time -- kind of like me having a piece of cake just now that I should have skipped. But, when you put children into the mix, you're forced to ignore many of your own wants because you have to care and provide for those children. I don't have to worry much about wasting tons of time on frivolous activities (although, there's still plenty of room to waste time) because if I don't get up and do my duties on a daily basis, my family will not function. Husband must work and wife must obey him while tending to the home and children.

Even finances follow along the same lines. A single person of average means has to choose between buying those things they desire or giving more generously to the Church. Whereas a family doesn't often have much left over after food, clothing, shelter, education, etc. needs are met. Yes, we don't have money to spend on vacations or even routine trips to restaurants, but our money is dedicated to that which God has placed before us and I don't have much concern over whether or not I should be spending less and giving more.

Along these same lines, the Church encourages single people who don't intend to marry toward religious vocations. There, they're in a position to do their daily duties and obey their superiors without having to depend solely on themselves to choose God and deny self.

So, while raising children (or living out a religious vocation) can be difficult at times, it's the easier path to Heaven.

I think the entire website should be annonymous.

Everyone is anonymous the day the sign up unless they choose to use their real name. You don't have to reveal anything about yourself to join the forum except your gender.