Good friends are hard to find. When you have a handful of people in your family, good friends who every member enjoys being with are even harder to come by. My husband and I have prayed for the kind of friends we can raise our family alongside for as long as we’ve been in San Diego. The kind of friends you can be totally transparent with; the ones who have been there and really get it; the friends who you share enough in common with that you can connect well yet are different enough that you can be sharpened by one another; the kind of people who will make a way to spend time together even when there are seven kids between you, nap schedules, full calendars and little margin. These families don’t pop up often. But one day earlier this year, we weren’t even looking and we struck gold.
One of the Armstrong boys came running up to our son after church and asked if we could all join his family at the park. Several months later, we now have a thriving small group through our church that meets at that very park on Sunday afternoons that our two families started together.
How can I describe the brand of wonderful that is the Armstrongs? This family is six uniquely beautiful souls, all unashamedly spilling over with vibrancy and personality. These children are each a perfect medley of social and contemplative, playful and bright. They love one another deeply while each holding their own interests and passions. They take after their parents in their eagerness to know and invite others in to their lives and their home.
Stacey and Eric are as real as they come, and they wear it so well. They put up no fronts but instead are vulnerable, honest and sincere. They empathize with others, and they let themselves be known. Their hospitality is clothed in generosity and grace. They prioritize their marriage, their children, and loving others well. They ask good questions, seek their own growth, and aren’t afraid to challenge the norm. This couple is phenomenal and I wish you all could know them like I do. My family and I praise God for bringing them into our lives. What a gift they are all are to us, and what a treat it was to capture their crew on this gorgeous fall day!
