A husband and wife decided to enter into a three-way relationship after falling in love with a woman at the gym - and although both female partners tower over their shorter man, they all agree that 'great things come in small packages.'

Engineering expediter and CrossFit gym owner, Mary Barillas, 32, from Kennewick, Washington, met her business partner husband and entrepreneur, Leo, 34, when she was 13 at high school. The pair started dating and got married when Mary turned 17.

In 2015 Mary and Leo met estimator, Kimberlee Slagle, 29, through their gym and the three soon became good friends.

As they spent more time together, their friendship blossomed into a romantic attraction and they formed a throuple in September 2016.

Kimberlee and her two children, Keagen, 11, and Kymper, seven, joined the Barillas' and their two children Carson, nine, and Paige, four, at their home in June 2017, and they've been living under the same roof ever since.

Mary and Leo Barillas (left and center), from Kennewick, Washington, met Kimberlee Slagle, (right) in 2015 and began a romantic relationship with her. Now they live as a happy 'throuple'

Family portrait: Leo, with Mary (left) and Kim (right) and their four children, Carson, Keagen, Paige and Kymper

Mary and Leo met Kimberlee through their crossfit gym business and quickly became friends with her (left to right: Mary, Leo and Kim)

They share their family life on Instagram under the handle, @pnwtriad16, and want to inspire others to be honest with who they are - even if that differs to what's considered 'normal' by society.

'We have not always been a triad. Kim was a friend, and Mary and I are married. Kim was a member at a CrossFit gym we owned. The friendship we all had turned into attraction,' said Leo.

'A romantic relationship started in 2016. Sometime that year we fell in love, probably at different times, for different reasons. We decided the three of us just vibed really well.

'Polyamory means being open and honest with who we are. We love more than one person and embrace that, even though it is beyond the social norm.

The throuple celebrating the New Year together. They ll have been living together since June 2017

Leo dressed up as Pacman for a costumed party with Mary and Kim. He said the key to a good relationship was communication

'Honestly, it is not very different from a traditional two-person relationship. We have a special relationship with each of our partners that we love and cherish and together we have a throuple.

'Instead of two adults having a family, we have three adults. We all live together with our four children.

'The family members that know of our relationship have been really accepting. It is not just family though, all of our friends are also very accepting.

'We have been very fortunate to have friends and family who love us for who we are and they pay no regard to how we choose to live our lives, as long as we live a happy one.'

Leo, Mary and Kim acknowledge that their relationship might be a little out of the ordinary for some, but being a throuple allows them to live their best life.

Leo said their relatives were supportive of the threesome's relationship, as were their friends. Marey, Leo and Kim on a night out together

Spending Christmas with the kids: Keagen, Page, Carson and Kymper. Leo said both Mary and him fell in love with Kim, but not at the same time and not for the same reasons

Like any other relationship, polyamorous or monogamous, jealousy can sometimes become an issue, but the three always air their grievances to come to a solution and move forward.

'Jealousy is a real thing, in any relationship, not just polyamory. We have found the best way to deal with jealousy is to communicate,' said Leo.

'Communication is key to dealing with any issues that arise. If we cannot discuss them, we cannot fix them.

'We chat a lot about the future, but find that living in the moment one day at a time is what is best for our family and us. Things can change so swiftly. Living in the here and now is what makes life worth living.

The throuple living it up on Kim's birthday. The couple communicate a lot together and discuss things they would like to see change in order to avoid rows

Leo revealed the threesome had to deal with issues of jealousy like in nay other relationship, but made it work through communication

Mary, Leo and Kim enjoying a night out together. The throuple try to live in the moment, without thinking too much about the future

They share pictures of their family on social media and Leo is proud to have his two taller partners on his arm.

'Great things like diamonds come in small packages. I don't mind being shorter than these two beautiful ladies. I think it makes others wonder what is so amazing about me.

The entrepreneur explained that reactions to their throuple lifestyle have been positive so far, although some people are still shocked to hear they live as a threesome.

'We haven't encountered any negative reactions to our face about our lifestyle,' Leo said.

Leo said he didn't mind being shorter than his two partners, as 'great things come in small packages'

While most people are accepting of their lifestyle, some still ask a lot of questions about how the throuple organise themselves

The ex-marine and business owner said it was ok to 'follow your heart' and to explore unconventional relationships

'We have had some people completely shocked and they typically have a ton of questions. Curiosity is normal and completely expected,' he added.

'It's OK to follow your heart and be with who makes you happy even if it is considered unconventional,

'Live the kind of life you want to live and live it with the people you love. You only get one life; you should live your best life.

'Live this life honestly and open. Open communication is key to any successful relationship, no matter the type.

'Disregard any negative comments about this lifestyle, because it is perfectly OK to love many.'