A lot of people ask how Eli and Jordan met. If you ask Eli, he will always say Jordan chased him out of the doors of Ballou after their joint choir and band concert in eighth grade. But if you ask Jordan, she stood in the corridor, waiting to see the tall guy over everyone so she could ask for his number. They dated for just a short time in eighth grade and then became very good—even best—friends, even though one of them never truly wanted it that way. Over the next 7 to 8 years, they were always there for each other, through thick and thin—even when their partners wanted them to have nothing to do with each other. Of course, there were hard times, because when two people care about each other so deeply, you can only avoid conflict for so long. But “meant to be” will always find a way. In July 2019, during the summer of their lives, they started to give in… or should we truly say Jordan realized how much she had wanted him, after Eli never gave up for years. They officially started dating again in January 2020 and realized their love had never gone away, but only grown with time. After graduation, they got their first one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in Puyallup, Washington. They then decided to extend their family and welcomed Jugo Rhodes—now a family of three. Soon after, they decided to move into a large 3,000-square-foot house with a friend. Eli and Jordan, now 21 years old, were partying in their home and having the time of their lives. One morning, Jordan received a call to give a family member a ride—but little did anyone know how that day would end. At 11:14 a.m. on April 15, 2023, Jordan was T-boned in an intersection with her aunt. They were taken to the hospital for x-rays—and got the biggest surprise of their lives: they were going to be a family of four! Elaine Lanora Rhodes was born at 8:16 a.m. on December 22, 2023, with Eli squeezing Jordan‘s hand. As of that day, the love they thought had maxed out grew even more. Fast-forward almost a year and a half later—they're out to eat at The Lobster Shop on Ruston Way. Eli keeps talking about ships, which Jordan struggles to understand, as he had never been concerned or interested in boats of any kind. Eli then says, “Oh, look at that one,” causing Jordan to whip her head toward the big glass window to see the ship. To her surprise, there isn’t a ship in sight. And as she turns to tell him to quit messing with her… there it is. Right there. The man of her dreams, with a ring, asking her to marry him. But Jordan, a Madrid at heart, just had to say, “Is this a joke?” “Are you serious?” And the look on Eli‘s face told her everything—he was serious. The tears started flowing, the cheering from the staff filled the room, and the champagne went popping. On March 13, 2025, Jordan Harley Madrid said yes to being Elias Franklin Rhodes’ wife. It’ll have been one year since then when you all join us to say “I do,” and we can’t wait to share March 21, 2026, with you—for the start of our new forever.