Birthdays are always fun, and Birthday cakes will always attract kids. There's a certain excitement about blowing out birthday candles that makes it special.

My Ah Ma has never had birthday cakes until probably the past 10 years when we started having birthday dinners for her. The birthday dinners are held at restaurants and we invite only close relatives and friends. It's always nice to see my Ah Ma greeting the guests, most of whom she only sees once or twice a year.

She's been through a lot in her life, Japanese occupation included. My grandparents didn't have much raising my dad and his 7 siblings. I still remember her telling me how she used to pop baby bottle nipples on recycled Coca Cola bottles to feed formula to her children. Talk about recycling.

Here's a photo of Hannah inching her way to the front to help Ah Ma blow out her candles during the birthday dinner this year. 4 generations apart.