Happy birthday to Mugsy!

Hey, everybody. It's Wendell. Mugsy's busy writing his next history lesson, so he let me borrow the keys to the blog. Big Brother says he's far too modest to announce a ministry-wide celebration of his birthday. So he suggested that I do it. Well, "suggested" might not be a strong enough word. Anyway, I want to say that I'm really happy to see Mugsy still going strong at 8 years old. What he's accomplished in that time is pretty amazing -- a successful rap career; overcoming a criminal conviction; finding Allah in the dog pound; founding the world's largest interfaith, interspecies ministry. I could go on, but you get the idea. 

To celebrate the big day, I asked mom to scan some old photos for the blog. Mugsy's puppy photos had never before been published on the Internet, because they were taken back in the Dark Ages before the 'rents got a digital camera. So check out these pics of baby-faced Mugsy -- he barely even had a beard back then! 

This is the first picture my parents ever took of Mugsy, on the day they brought him home. That doggy bed didn't last long, becoming the first victim of Mugsy's chewing. 

Here, Mugsy takes a nap beside our uncle. Look at that form! He's always been good at what he does.

Fans of "Where's Waldo" may like this one. Can you spot the baby ayatollah? Now, I feel that I need to explain one thing. After the latest presidential election, it's clear that it doesn't take much to be labeled a socialist in this country. So to avoid fueling any McCarthy-esque rumors about my Capitalist Pug brother, it should be noted that the dude on the left isn't the Great Russian Bear of Communism. This photo was taken at our grandparents' house, and grandpa was a longtime military man. He picked up the hat while serving in Europe. I like to think that he wore it on covert operations behind the Iron Curtain. But it may have just been a souvenir.

Here, Lil' Mugsy is being held by our other grandfather, who actually has normal-sized hands. 

Mugsy receives a relaxing massage from a sock monkey. 

I think this one's my favorite -- look at that smile! After eight years, it still lights up a room. Happy birthday, Big Bro!