“When we started this journey... we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into," is how Larron and his wife have described bringing a third party into their union. From the ups to the downs, here's their story.
Triple the Affection
Throughout their relationship, Larron and Jennifer Armstead felt content with their love for each other. But they could never have known how wrong they were, and how their lives were going to change because of it.
Because when the couple agreed to bring a third person into their marriage, it brought on confusion, suspicion, and criticism from all sides. "We didn't know what to expect or what was to come," Jennifer recalled. Let’s jump into their unique tale of matrimony that got flipped on its head.
Where the Story Began
But it wasn't as simple of that, of course. A lot had to happen for a married couple of 10 years to invite someone else to be part of their relationship... And to get involved with all the controversy that followed. First, we have to go back to the start.
Larron and Jennifer first met in 2005, when they were only 18 years old. From their first meeting, the powerful chemistry was obvious. And from that moment on, everything happened naturally. In no time at all, they were in love and locked into a serious relationship.
Wedding Bells Were Ringing
Soon Larron and Jennifer were well-settled into a happy, domestic life. Everything was going as you might expect, and they were already forming their future plans. So it was no surprise when, just two years later, Larron began putting a plan in motion.
And one quiet evening in 2007, after the couple had dinner together, Larron knelt down and sprung the big question on his unsuspecting partner. He asked for her hand in marriage, and she said yes. Three years later, in 2010, they finally tied the knot at a private ceremony. And everything seemed just fine… for the time being.
The Family Grew
But for those first years, every part of married life seemed heavenly for the newlyweds. From the initial honeymoon period, they quickly set their sights on growing their family, and soon enough Jennifer was pregnant! Their first child, Austin, was born back in 2012.
Being young parents was just as blissful, and it didn’t seem possible that life could get any better. Life was working out in every way possible for Larron and Jennifer, and over the next few years, they only got busier. They set to work on adding more mini-mes.
Adding 4 More to the Bunch
Soon enough, the couple had added four more children to their family, including their second son, Aydon, and their daughter, Aerolynn. And over the course of 7 years, the Armstead family had expanded to 7 people. Larron and Jennifer weren’t fazed - they could face anything together, or so they thought.
Because soon this big, bustling family was about to face a challenge that, neither parents nor children, could ever have imagined. There was a stranger on the horizon, who was about to turn the Armstead household upside down. Were they going to survive it?
Larron Meets Amia
And in 2019, almost ten years after their wedding day, the stranger appeared in the form of a few photos online. Larron happened to be scrolling through Facebook when he stumbled across the profile of a striking young woman. From that moment on, everything was about to change.
He couldn’t explain what it was, but he felt drawn to the strange woman, who he learned was named Amia Munningham. Amia’s profile had just enough info to tell him that she was a 27-year old consultant. It wasn’t much but he followed his feelings and sent her a friend request.
What Did She Think?
We’ve talked enough about Larron’s first thoughts - but what about Amia? There was no doubt that as she checked her notifications she was more than a little perplexed by the friend request she’d been sent. And by a complete stranger at that. Who could he be?
Just as Larron had done his own snooping, Amia found herself trawling through his Facebook profile for more info. Sure enough, he was a married father of 5. So why was he messaging her? Both curious, the two of them began talking, and an online friendship began to form. But where would it lead?
Larron Came Clean
Their friendship grew with every passing day, but soon their conversations began to cross boundaries in ways neither had expected. Conversations became more and more flirty. Larron knew he needed to figure out what was going on and fill his wife in on his latest connection.
So he approached Jennifer, his beloved wife, and admitted that he had been talking to someone else. It was hard to figure out, as he barely knew what was happening. He didn’t understand his feelings, but he knew he had to share them with her. He could never have expected her reaction.
The Two Women Meet
Jennifer was understandably perturbed by her husband's out-of-the-blue confession. After thinking about it for some time, she came to a conclusion: No matter what, she wanted to meet the woman who had caught her husband's attention so immediately. She needed more answers.
So she contacted the hapless consultant and the two women began discussing what had occurred. "My first impression of her was that she seemed carefree and funny," she admitted. But things soon took a surprising turn. "We laughed, made jokes, and became comfortable pretty fast."
Opening Things Up
Jennifer quickly understood why her husband had been so drawn to this charismatic woman. But she and Larron were still unsure about what their attraction to the woman meant, and where it could lead them. How could they fit this new person into their already busy lives?
Jennifer explained that they “were considering many things," and one of them was the possibility of an open marriage. But they soon decided against it. "Larron and I are pretty emotional people," she reflected. "We knew that [an open marriage] wouldn't have been the right dynamic for us."
Company Or A Crowd?
After going back and forth constantly about how to resolve the situation, Jennifer and Larron only seemed to make each other more confused. And during this time, they continued to get to know Amia. Soon they decided there was nothing they could do but trust their instincts.
They finally agreed that it was worth trying to bring a third party into the relationship. "As discussions progressed, we started to share thoughts of possibly adding someone to the relationship," Jennifer said. "I had had previous feelings that I was 'bi-curious' - although, nothing had been set in stone."
The Three of Them Went Out
So they finally arranged a date - the three online friends were finally going to meet. Larron and Jennifer were both wracked with nerves, unsure of how things were going to turn out. This meeting was potentially going to be the first step down a new path.
But their fears were quickly swept away. The trio hit it off and talked long into the night. "We started off just having fun - drinking and getting to know each other," Jennifer said. It all seemed to be going smoothly on their end, but how about Amia?
Their Relationship Moved Fast
Amia was having a fantastic time with the married couple, and quickly agreed to more “friend dates.” The chemistry between the three of them was clear, and it seemed only natural to spend more time together. And it was obvious that their feelings for each other were starting to grow.
Over the next few weeks, Jennifer and Larron were spending most of their free time with Amia, whenever they could. Things were speeding up, and they still had to figure out what their relationship was exactly. That was when they finally decided to take the next step forward.
It’s Official
And so it came to be that on September 21, 2019, Amia Munningham officially became a part of the Armstead family and the third member of Jennifer and Larron’s relationship. "When we began our poly journey, we didn't know exactly where it would go," Jennifer said. But now, they had a much clearer idea.
But things could only be so perfect for so long. A storm was coming, and the three adults were about to receive an unwanted reality check that they, unfortunately, couldn’t ignore. They only had a few months more of blissful ignorance before the trouble began.
Darker Days
Though their three-way relationship had brought unimaginable happiness, it also brought concerns. Sharing all this love between them was one thing, but what would happen if they split? The love between a couple is tricky enough, let alone between three.
There was more at risk with an extra person, but that wasn’t all. Though they had grown perfectly comfortable with their romantic arrangement, could the same be said for everyone else? And how viable was their relationship going to be in the long term, if at all?
Jennifer’s Struggle
In truth, Amia had her own prior experiences with polyamory, but the same couldn’t be said for her new partners. And Jennifer in particular was struggling with the new relationship dynamics in her life. She found that things were a little more complicated than she had expected.
How was she going to work through the difficulties? "It's been a learning process," Jennifer said. "Especially on how to have a relationship with a woman… to have a successful romantic relationship is a little [challenging]." But it wasn’t the only challenge she was about to face.
Feelings of Envy Surfaced
Because there were other feelings that were about to come up in the face of this newcomer in her marriage. "You don't really know what to expect... feelings started to arise that I hadn't expected," Jen elaborated. It certainly wasn’t as cut and dry as she had initially thought.
Jennifer found herself overcome with jealousy and skepticism in regards to her husband and their new partner. "I was scared that he would lose love for me," she explained. Her mind was racing with thoughts like this, and she couldn’t help but notice how frequently they went out on their own.
Getting Through It
Jennifer Armstead had found herself in a truly difficult situation. She was not only still mothering her five children, but was also struggling to communicate her feelings with her husband Larron, who was also still adjusting. She knew she had to find a concrete solution.
And over time, openness and honesty became a little easier, and the relationship began to flourish. Jennifer’s fears were put at ease, and the three partners finally began to feel settled. "We struggled through this, but we conquered through," they shared on Twitter. But was it going to last?
Letting The World Know
Soon enough, external troubles began to appear. There were many more people involved in this situation than just Larron, Jennifer, and Amia. Not only the five Armstead children but also the extended family of both Larron and Jennifer, who had no idea what was going on.
As it turned out, Amia had already shared her past with her parents, so it wasn’t an issue for her. But Larron and Jen both came from strict backgrounds, conservatives on one side and Jehovah’s Witnesses on the other. And they reacted predictably. "They were shocked," said Jennifer.
The Kids Caught On
And now for the most important people involved - the children. Their mother and father had welcomed this new person into the family home and introduced Amia as a friend. But their children caught on fast. According to Jennifer, "The older kids started to notice that she was not just a friend, and questions started to arise.”
So they made the decision to talk to Austin, their oldest son, about the situation. But after explaining it as best they could, Austin piped up with a scathing response: “She’s not my mom.” Jen and Larron realized that this life transition was going to be harder than they thought.
Room for One More?
It had been hard enough to adjust to having Amia as a new family member, and their children were still coming to terms with it. But their partner soon revealed something else. "Amia expressed that she would like to have kids," Jen said. But could they deal with a second addition to the family?
Jennifer was adamantly against it, at first. "In the first few months, I had a hard set boundary: NO KIDS," she admitted. "I thought that if someone else had his child, I'd lose the last thing I had left of him." And she was about to find out if that was true.
Amia’s Baby Bump
Months later, in January 2021, Amia came to her partners with some shocking news. She was going to have a baby. That’s right, the Armstead children were about to welcome their 6th sibling into the family...though the child was going to have a different mother.
And though she had balked at the idea originally, Jennifer knew that it was happening no matter how she felt. And after Amia had shared her news and Jen had some time to process it, the mother of 5 realized that she didn’t feel as bad as she had expected.
The 6th Child
In fact, hearing the news was a profound moment for Jennifer. "I got to experience something so special... just me and her, as she walked in the room and told me she was pregnant," she recalled. "The pure happiness that came over both of us was so special... I'll never forget it."
They still had yet to share it with their five children, but for now, the three were ecstatic. "I can't wait to build this family with you… and to our husband: Get ready for number 6!!!" Jen posted on social media. It was going to be a wild ride, but they were prepared.
A Viral Family
And things continued to get wilder. The Armstead family had become an anomaly, and their story was unlike anything many people had heard of before. And news of the polyamorous threesome and their family was about to spread like wildfire in the online world.
This was due to their story being covered on a YouTube news channel called Truly, which focused on covering unusual news from around the world. The video spread across the world wide web, and the family found themselves being bombarded with opinions from every corner.
They Faced Criticism
Some of these opinions were unduly harsh, as the Armsteads found themselves under the internet’s microscope. "I'd never let another woman be with my husband," "You're ruining your kids," were just some of the accusations that they received. But these criticisms weren’t exclusive to the internet.
They received attention wherever they went. "For those of you who wonder if we get stares when we are out together? The answer is YES... we absolutely do,” the family shared in an Instagram post. They couldn’t understand why people were so against their way of life, which they felt was perfectly harmless.
They Weren’t Letting Hate Get Them Down
But Jennifer, Larron, and Amia were able to shrug off the hate they were getting from strangers, despite the seemingly endless stream of comments and messages they received. "When it really comes down to it, I don't live my life according to what others deem 'accept-able,'" Jennifer insisted.
Jennifer was sick of worrying about what other people thought about her and her family. "The older I get, the more I understand that it's okay to live a life others don't understand," she shared. Whether people supported their lifestyle or not, she wasn't fazed.
Sharing Their Message
But believe it or not, the response to the Armstead family dynamic hasn’t all been negative. A lot of people were drawn to the polyamorous story. "Our journey has inspired many, and we are so grateful for all of the love you guys have shown us," they shared on social media.
Some rallied around the family, sharing their support. "Way to get your story out there. One day, God willing, relationships of this nature will be accepted," read one comment. "Man, if I could live like this 10x I would," another shared. The trio was no longer alone in their unconventional beliefs.
Tragedy Struck
Through the course of their story, Larron and Jennifer have been through a whirlwind, with their upended relationship causing a stir all over the internet. But how are they doing now? Are they still living as a happy throuple with their six beautiful children?
While the married couple is still living happily with Amia, they sadly experienced a great tragedy in February 2021. Amia lost their future child, although they had taken all necessary precautions for a safe pregnancy. "It may not be our time at this exact moment, but it will be soon," they shared on social media.
"We Can't Wait to Build More Memories"
It’s been an intense couple of years for the Armstead family, but despite the rollercoaster, things are finally beginning to settle down for the loving family of 8. "It's been a crazy ride this year, we have had some ups and downs, but it's been life-changing," they shared.
"Every day we come closer together, discovering things about each other… laughing at the silly things… loving each other more," they continued on social media. "As we sit back and think about this past year, we have overcome so much, and we can't wait to build more memories."
The Takeaway
Who could have known that these two lovebirds would go on to tread such an unconventional path? There were hard points, but the outcome was worth it all. Jennifer, Larron, and Amia couldn't be happier, whether others agree with their lifestyle or not.
They certainly weren't letting the opinions of others get them down. "These past few years, I've grown a backbone and decided that my happiness is important," Jennifer shared. "You only get one life... LIVE IT! Happy.... free.... and unapologetic." And if that’s not a great lesson to take from this story, we don’t know what is!