Oh, hey there! We are the Armstrongs. We’re  in the process of matching with a child from the US foster system right now! We’re hoping to raise money to help offset some of the large cost of adoption. We knew what we were getting into when we made this decision but hope to raise some of the money to be able to provide the child with a dream room and family vacation they have never had. 

   Adopting from the foster system is more affordable then infant and international but there is still a lot of cost, about $15,000, include training fees, home inspection fees, program fees and that’s just the start! We’re starting to climb the hill of the next costs as we match with our new family member, travel cost, placement fee ($7,000) and all the legal fees. All donations are tax deductible and If you can’t give that’s fine we understand but even a share on Facebook would be appreciated! Be sure to follow here as we will place updates on our journey! For more info about our family read our bio below and thanks for your time! 

                                                        THE ARMSTRONGS

     My name is Darla and I would like to thank  you for taking the time to learn more about us, I know this is a tough but important process. We hope that we are just the family you are looking for. As a military family, we understand that families come in all shapes and sizes; most of the people that we consider family are not blood related. We value compassion and resilience; two traits we draw on quite often as parents already. My husband and I both created opportunities out of difficult circumstances and enjoy raising our son with that mentality in mind. We are drawn to adopting from foster care because we believe every child has a story and we would like to help steer their future chapters in a positive direction.

                You can call me the chaos coordinator, responsible for managing our day-to-day activities and making sure we do not miss a single hockey practice or school book fair. I believe food = love and most meals should be homemade. I love to try new recipes and get creative in the kitchen – I love it even more when my son, Bryce, helps. We are no strangers to change as the military recently moved us to Virginia and we worked to help our son, Bryce, through a transition away from his first memorable home. As his stepmom, I have had many crucial conversations with him about how much it means to me to be his “bonus” mom. I strive to create a little structure and a whole lot of love in my home of busy boys.  

                My husband, Blake, keeps us laughing. He works very hard for our family and his job is pretty cool – he is on active duty in the Army where he has worked his way up from combat medic, to flight medic, and now holds an executive medicine position in Washington, DC. His career inherently comes with the responsibility to help people through some of the worst days of their lives. As a dad, Blake is fun and always finds ways to remind us to be kind and care for others. There is no shortage of adventures when he is around; if we could be camping or exploring new places every weekend – we would (and normally do)!

                Bryce is excited to welcome a new sibling into our home. Bryce began playing hockey last year and absolutely loves it! He is an outdoorsy kid who loves to ride his bike on trails and explore nature whenever he can. On a rainy day, you can find Bryce curled up with a book – most likely Harry Potter or Way of the Warrior Kid. You can always count on Bryce to join any game: video games, board games, or a game you just made up, he is in!

                We are an active family that loves nature and exploring new hiking and biking trails whenever we get the chance. Our neighborhood, Island Creek in Alexandria, Virginia, has multiple parks and miles of bike trails close by. When we are not out and about, we are playing yard games in our cul-de-sac with our friends and neighbors. We are within walking distance to Island Creek Elementary School so there are plenty of school-age kids in the neighborhood that Bryce plays with. When the weather cools down you can find us snuggled up with mountains of soft blankets and our two Australian Shepherds, Skye and Aspen, watching movie marathons or playing a round of Mario Party.

          We look forward to the opportunity to expand our family and provide a child an opportunity to be the author of their own story.