Ania went out of her way to make my birthday an awesome day for me. I had a really nice time with my family, and got some really cool gifts!

The Friday before my birthday, I got an Xbox 360 (Taylor's and Carter's bad influences didn't help my attempts to resist and Ania & my parents thought I should treat myself), Halo 2 (I always regretted not having an Xbox because I wanted to play this game), and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (The game's as good as I thought; thanks, Mom & Dad!), so that laid the foundation for video gaming fun over my birthday weekend. ;)

Update: Jené and Carter sent me the game Prey for my birthday. I agree with Carter's review; it's sometimes dizzying, but fun! Thanks, guys!

The morning of my birthday, Ania led me out to our backyard. My mother-in-law, Wanda had conspired with Ania and our friend Marlena (who let them use her SUV to carry it home) to get me a European White Birch tree! It's my favorite kind of tree, and I enjoy seeing them every time we're in Tahoe. I really like the sight and sound of the leaves rustling and fluttering in the wind.

Next, we went to Rutherford Grill (which is happily becoming a bit of a birthday tradition for me) and my parents treated us to an indulgent lunch, after which we went home and Ania and I played video games & relaxed for the rest of the day. :)