#43 ~1982~We are USA CITIZENS!!!

We already had our Green cards, that we were issued in Detroit. But now we were so close to getting our Citizenship! We were studying the USA Constitution, Laws, names of the local and federal government officials. And when we went to the interview, we were asked to write simple sentences. I still remember mine: "American flag has 13 stripes and 50 stars". After the interview Felix was asked to be a speaker, representing all of the new USA citizens. It was such an honor! I don't know who was more nervous: me or him. But he did an outstanding job and even made the judge very  emotional.

                                                        We are the USA Citizens!

How we enjoyed our life. With all the difficulties, surprises and shortages, I felt like the luckiest woman alive. My girls were growing, number of our students quadrupled, we were making lots of friends. But I missed my Rhythmic team. And the only way to start new Rhythmic gymnastics Team was exposure. So we picked 8  girls and offered them a trip to Tulsa, OK to watch  Rhythmic Gymnastics Nationals.

Felix drove all the way there and back and I was taking care of all the girls. Not an easy task. Masha and Elizabeth were the center of attention and they both loved it! 

First Rhythmic Gymnastics Team sat United Gymnastics Academy.
Sarah, Susan, Sheila, Mary, Kerrie, Mia, Denise, Michelle

Our trip was fun, exciting, with many stops and long conversations. We watched competition, they loved it and everyone was so excited to start training and competing.

Another exciting thing happened: we sold our house in Detroit and my parents moved to Jacksonville. They lived with us first and then we rented an apartment for them next door. It was such a huge help for us. And Mom and Dad were so happy to reunite with us again. My brother, Eduard moved to Las Vegas and enrolled to the Army. So proud of him!

My brother Eduard

While I was excited to start training my new Rhythmic team, Felix was very successful with Artistic Gymnastics Team, taking them on the local and State competitions

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Look at all the medals!!!

#44 ~ Happy Year 1983

Every day was a new challenge, new discoveries, new victories. We seriously started to think that we need a bigger gym, we just could not accommodate all the students that were coming in. My Rhythmic program was growing and I needed higher ceiling and my own floor.
Our accountant said that we are doing so well financially that if would be stupid to change anything. But as I mentioned before, we never had any "business" training and /or experience. We were looking to expend. But we could not get a loan in the bank, because we did not have any credit history. We could not even get a credit card. Sears refused us a credit cars for that reason. When I asked how do I get a "credit history", I was told that we have to borrow money, In my mind... if you don't have any debts that should be a good credit history. You buy only what you can afford...We just could not understand the concept.
Mr. Lewis was the father of one of our students. He offered a partnership: his credit history and our labor. Worked for everyone. We found a great property, right on the busy street (Blanding Blvd), borrowed money and built a big gymnasium...Sounds easy and effortless, but it was an "every day" hard choices and decisions to make, people to meet, lessons to learn...
I was happy with high ceiling, dance studio, and the floor dedicated just for my Rhythmic gymnastics program!!!

Great day at St. Augustine with my girls

And then a great news: I was pregnant!!! So happy, so excited, so overwhelmed with emotions!!!

Day at the Epcot Center with Masha and Elizabeth

And here she was, baby Joanna!!!

What a beautiful baby she was! I was back in the gym within 1 week, which made most of my students, staff and parents very surprised.
I would spend mornings and afternoons at home and teach from 3 - 9pm. My Mom was taking care of baby Joanna while I was at the Gym, and I ran home to nurse her as soon as I was done. Sometimes my Mom would be very frazzled and exhausted, because baby was fussy and crying, like all babies do..., but we managed.

My Mom with baby Joanna

#45 ~ 1984

 We were finally feeling that our business is going to make it. We had over 500 students and some classes had a waiting list. We hired more coaching staff and we were one of the largest gymnastics schools in south-east. In the spring we bought a house that was across the street from our new Gym. it was a small house with 3 bedrooms, big back yard and even a small creek in the back. We had a big kitchen, nice size living room and and we decided to leave "dining room" empty, so the girls could play and have lots of space. Mom and Dad were still in the El Matador apartments. My sister and my niece moved to New York. Felix's Mom moved to California. Life was great! We worked hard, did not count the hours we spent in the Gym. Somehow it did not feel like it was work... We loved it. Weekends we  spent on the beach, if there were no competitions or other events happening.

                                                 Felix with girls and Mom and Dad in the back

Our family was growing. My uncle Vladimir and his big family (9 people) arrived  from Ukraine. It was a very happy and emotional reunion.

              My inkle Vladimir with his wife, one of his daughters and one of his grandchildren