Evelyn's Honky Tonky 6th Birthday

“You have a baby… in a bar!” You know the line from Sweet Home Alabama? Well, it played again and again through my head as we ascended the wooden ramp of the Red Rock Steakhouse and Saloon. I did… I had a baby in a bar—two babies if you count Evelyn. But we can’t count Evelyn as a baby anymore. She’s SIX now! The Red Rock Steakhouse and Saloon was the pinnacle of her birthday evening, but we’ll get to that.

I had worried where we’d spend Evelyn’s birthday. Just one week before her birthday, we were camped at Emma Long Municipal Park in Austin, TX. It was gorgeous, and we were right on the river, but our reservation there was ending. I was kicking myself for not planning ahead and finding an idyllic locale where we could park for her big day. Even worse, Easter weekend was the kick-off to her birthday week, so finding a reservation anywhere was proving difficult. Of course, we were lucky enough to find Falling Star RV Resort in Dale, TX. That’s a story in itself!

Our first evening at Falling Star found us surrounded by affable and welcoming neighbors, full-time residents of the park. There was Irey and Robin and their service dog Mattie, Anna and Stanley, Dee and her dog Skeeter, and Sandra and Gabby, to name a few. Evelyn played tag with Anna and Stanley’s seven year old grandson that evening while Kailyn crawled around their site, ascending and descending their trailer steps. Everyone shared stories and laughs and asked about where we were from and what brought us to Falling Star.

That night, Evelyn did her Evelyn thing and introduced herself to everyone, spreading the glow that is Evelyn. Within minutes, everyone knew that Evelyn’s birthday was on Thursday and everyone had marked their mental calendars with eager smiles and broad gestures to “cross their hearts” they wouldn’t forget.

“Mom, we can share cupcakes with everyone for my birthday, right?!” She tugged at my arm, jumping up and down at the idea. Secretly, I was jumping up and down inside, too. Everyone is so wonderful! Evelyn made friends! I pictured we might go around with a tray of cupcakes on her birthday, handing them out and sharing high fives. I didn’t know then it would be so, so much more than that!

Irey shared of an outing they had all taken to a nearby steakhouse the night before. His eyes were bright, and I watched Anna’s smile grow wider as he narrated: “There’s singing and dancing and, you know, it’s a family place! Robin and I danced with a little boy who couldn’t have been more than three years old last night! We want to make it a weekly thing! Will you be here next Thursday? Will you come with us??”

Well, we couldn’t wait, and though we don’t make a habit out of hanging out in steakhouses being vegetarian and all, we didn’t want to miss an opportunity like this with new friends.

Evelyn woke on her birthday to birthday decorations and banners over her bedroom door and in the living room. She opened gifts that included a “big girl” bathing suit—a two piece!—and a soft little kitty cat toy. She rode her new bike around a bit (a birthday gift but also necessity since her old bike had become highway fodder on our way from Austin to McMahon). We treated her to Dairy Queen, her new favorite place, and returned home to bake the cupcakes.

By this time, we’d been at the park for a week and friendships had grown. “Sharing cupcakes” on her birthday had become a birthday party event and we all anticipated singing to Evelyn and then hopping off to the saloon to dance! When 4:00 arrived, friends started pouring in to our site wearing warm smiles and bearing gifts.

Dee and Robin sat down at the table with Evelyn and as soon as she had opened their gifts, they were eagerly grabbing crayons and helping her color the pages of her new coloring book. We waved Sandra, our cross-road neighbor and receptionist for the park, over to join the festivities. She sat down with her embracing always-present smile and joined Evelyn in assembling one of her new just-opened jigsaw puzzles. Tom and Deana, our neighbors from Minnesota, brought more joy to embrace our birthday girl, and our next door neighbor, Anna, appeared bearing more gifts and more huge smiles.

Irey settled down in a chair with his service dog, Mattie, ambling in next to him. The dogs gravitated to him—Emmy, Heidi, and Dee’s dog Skeeter. Irey marveled at Emmy’s disposition and exclaimed, “Why, someone has trained this dog before!” Having trained his own dog and others before her, his eyes twinkled with opportunity. “Evelyn!” he exclaimed. “Do you have a treat for your dogs? Bring some over here!” With eager canine eyes all around him, he held Emmy’s muzzle and placed a treat on top of her nose. A smile spread across Evelyn’s face: she had just been asking that morning whether we could train our dogs to do that! After a few confused seconds, Emmy’s muzzled was released and she flipped the treat back from her nose and chomped into the air. The treat trickled to the grass beneath her feet, but she promptly pounced. Evelyn’s tail wagged almost as hard as the audience of dogs’ tails whose noses pointed up at Irey for their opportunity and Irey clapped his hands and cheered, “Whoo hoo!” There were laughs all around.

Irey asked Evelyn if she was ready for her night out at the saloon: “Now, you know what we call it, Evelyn? We’re going ‘honky tonkin’!” She tipped her head and smiled: “We’re going honky tonky!”

We brought the cupcakes out and sang to Evelyn; Irey hoisted her up on his hip as the star of the moment. She blew out her candles surrounded by the glow of new friends. There was applause all around and then, “Is it time to go honky tonky now??”

An hour later we were traveling green country roads freckled with cattle in lush fields and rolling hills on either side. A canopy of trees hanging over the road led us on. Unlike home, where we’d trudge through signal after signal across concrete and surrounded by strip malls and chain stores, our drive to a small feed store-turned restaurant and bar was a treat and experience in itself. The only restaurant around for 15 miles, the Red Rock Saloon’s corrugated tin siding and aged wooden porch was a welcoming destination after a brief rumble down a small dirt road. White twinkle lights adorned the meandering branches of a mature tree out front and a sign welcoming us to the Saloon lazed about in the grass near the porch.

I took in the scene. Deer and two-headed calf heads peered out of walls at us, neighbored by beer lights and signs and Texan flags. A bar centered the room and a DJ’s set up in the corner promised karaoke and tunes. Yup, I had a baby in a bar—there was no doubt about it. But, no one seemed to mind and despite what it may seem, it wasn’t that out of the ordinary. I spied an even tinier baby in her mother’s arms at the table behind us, being doted on by smile after smile of friends and family in her party. After meeting eyes mother-to-mother, we smiled at each other and I asked how old her precious babe was: two weeks! Well, then, I don’t feel so bad! It’s all good, right?!

The music began and Irey and Robin jumped up to dance together. I’m not going to lie—the envy on Evelyn’s face was palpable! Irey had promised her a dance (not the first, but that was lost on Evelyn in the moment), and it took some comforting to wash the disappointed expression from her brow! We all smiled and explained that she would get her chance, and it arrived quickly: the couple waved her out to the dance floor. They joined hands with her and made a small circle and she beamed and beamed, dancing it up!

Everyone danced that night—even Brent—and Evelyn was twirled by Anna and swung by yours truly and doted on by all.

Irey held his hand out in gesture to dance with Anna. After she had had her spin, he returned to invite me to two-step.

Later, back at the table, Irey explained to Brent, “That’s just how it is in Texas. Every lady at the table is invited to dance. Oh, but you better believe the gentleman asks the husband’s permission first! That’s just how it is!”

Brent’s eyebrows raised with a laugh, “Hmm, I don’t recall you asking permission before dancing with my wife.”

Quick as wit, Irey held up his hands, “I’m from Oklahoma!”

Evelyn’s charm quickly swept the room. People at tables all around found smiles spreading across their cheeks watching Evelyn shine. Friendly faces everywhere tipped their hats to this charismatic birthday girl. As she brushed past tables near the dance floor, people would smile and extend their hands for a handshake and remark, “You’re having so much fun out there! You’re making me wish I had your kind of energy!”

One man sitting nearby leaned over and asked if she was our daughter. I smiled proudly in consent. He shook his head with a huge smile and exclaimed, “Well, she is just something else!”

When he soon took the mic to sing, Evelyn was one of many dancing on the floor in front of him. He extended his arm with mic in hand, welcoming her to chime in. Of course, Evelyn didn’t know the song but was game all the same and yelled, “Hello!” into the mic before he chuckled and continued the song.

A woman who had been sitting at a neighboring table took the mic soon after and left everyone raising their eyes with intrigue: “She’s really good!” Her voice blanketed the room and brought people to the dance floor. When she had finished, Evelyn made a point to approach her and tell her what a good singer she is. The woman and the man sitting with her were all smiles, chatting with Evelyn for a good while and hollering over to us what a wonderful and polite little girl we had.

Of course, Evelyn’s 6th birthday was topped with a serenade by the entire bar-room. The evening couldn’t have been better… or a more unexpected way to celebrate this little gal’s birthday.

As we were getting ready to leave, the woman Evelyn had complimented earlier waved Evelyn over to her table. She slipped the turquoise-beaded bracelet off her wrist and onto Evelyn’s. She wished her a happy birthday and gave her a hug.

On the way out, people tipped their hats and smiled goodbyes, some stopping to pose for pictures with her inside or out on the porch.

[From left to right below: The woman with the amazing voice with Evelyn after giving her the bracelet off her wrist; Greg "The Pirate" Karaoke cowboy, who offered the mic to Evelyn during his song; and Evelyn's biggest fans, US! <3].

That night wouldn’t be our last at Red Rock Saloon, but it was certainly our most memorable. And so it was that I found myself in the heart of Texas with a baby in a bar—and a six year old I can’t really call my baby any more. Our little lady is six now, and she shines now more than ever. I love you, my Evvie Dove!