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Day Ones: These lifelong friends and their wives are an unbreakable group
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Not many high school romances last a lifetime. In Billy and Susan Beltz’ case, that is far from the truth.
They are just two people who absolutely love and adore one another, and they care about the people around them as well.
They are amazing friends and even better parents, and the impact they make on those around them is something that always sticks out. Their friends, Buddy and Susan Grant, have been around the Beltzes for three decades, and it has been three decades of a lot of laughter, a lot of tears, but most importantly, a lot of love and fun.
“We have been friends since 1991; it’s amazing that 30 years have gone by so quickly,” Buddy and Susan said. “During this time, we have remained close friends and no matter what has gone on in our lives, such as work, raising children, health issues, we have always managed to find time for our friendship. We were in each other’s weddings, watched our kids grow up and now we are spending more time together like we used to.”
A friendship that grows as much as the friendship between the four of them is a type of friendship that is not seen very often, and it is a friendship that should be held and cherished near and dear to their hearts.
Throughout these 30 years, the Grants have learned a lot about friendship, but they have also learned a lot about what helps keep a marriage going strong.
“Billy is humble, hardworking and respectful. He has a quiet determination, and is an excellent navigator of challenges,” they said. “He loves working on projects, fishing and anything that goes fast.”
On one hand, you have Billy, who loves to take on challenges and push boundaries and on the other hand you have Susan, who is the rock and voice of reason while at the same time pushing the family forward to be its best.
“Susan is smart , sweet and very gracious,” the Grants said. “She works very hard both at Shands and for the family business. Susan is quiet, but very strong and equally determined. Both are very dedicated parents as well.“
At the end of the day, the Beltzes each bring the best of themselves to the table, but one thing that makes them work so well together is the fact that they are such selfless, loving parents. They would do anything for their twin boys, Blake and Bruce, and they have taught the Grants a lot about parenting over the years.
“I believe that they both are great parents, very involved with their education and worked diligently to keep them involved with extracurricular activities,” Buddy and Susan said. “We are also hands-on parents, so we understood their devotion. When the kids were younger, sometimes we would not see each other but only once a year.”
Now they see each other all the time, and the Grants are so thankful for their friendship. They love getting to go on vacations every year with the Beltzes, and they certainly love any time they get to spend together.
Their friendship means the world to them, and the Grants have such an appreciation for Billy and Susan, and as much as they are thankful for 30 years of friendship, they are even more thankful to have seen the Beltzes stay by each other’s side no matter what.
“We are fortunate to have you both in our lives. You have been there for the most memorable times of our lives, and for that we are so thankful. We cannot imagine our lives without you both in it.” – Buddy and Susan
