How personal should birthdays be in relationships?

My boyfriend planned a camping trip with his friends over spring break and told me about out it a few months ago. When I reminded him that my birthday lands right in the middle of his trip, he invited me to come with them. I barely know his friends, and when I asked if I could invite some of mine he said he didn't want that many people coming...so I told him I'd just stay home and maybe do something with my friends. He told me a few weeks later that he hadn't actually made the plans for the trip yet, he was just planning on planning a trip...when I asked him if he could plan it around my birthday he asked what exactly I was doing for my birthday..when I said I didn't have any plans yet, he said there was no point in him planning his trip around my birthday if I wasn't doing anything. It made sense to me at the time...but about 10 minutes ago I realized...hey, if anyone is going to throw me a party for my birthday, shouldn't it be my boyfriend? And why did he expect me to plan my own birthday...why didn't he offer to take me out or something? He left for his camping trip the morning of my birthday...he couldn't wait just one more day? We don't live together either, so I didn't see him or get a call from him...he doesn't get service in the mountains of course...but he didn't even try to call in the morning. Not even a text =(

We've been together for a year and a half. How can I communicate to him that I just don't feel loved...besides telling him I don't feel loved, because that didn't work...