It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Spectacular Minnesota Christmas

 

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Spectacular Minnesota Christmas

Todd Swank's Diary Update for December 7, 2025

Friday night dropped us right back into the Christmas Spectacular at River Valley Church in Apple Valley, our second year in a row, and somehow it hit even harder this time. The whole thing is this whirlwind of live music and enough Christmas energy to power the Mall of America for a week. It’s inspirational, it’s spiritual, it’s uplifting and it sneaks up on you in that good way where you suddenly realize you’re smiling like a kid again. Just an absolutely beautiful show that kicks the season into gear and reminds you why this time of year still matters.

Ted and Marcia rounded up the crew and invited us out, so we kicked things off with dinner at Newt’s, where the popcorn was flowing and the laughs were even louder. It’s one of those meals where the conversation bounces all over the place, everyone’s in a good mood and you remember why you actually like leaving the house in December. From there we headed to the show, still riding the energy from dinner, and the whole night turned into this perfect mix of fun, music and inspiration. A pretty great way to launch the weekend.

Miss Sheri and I are heading into our 34th Christmas together, which is impressive considering she’s had three decades to realize what she’s working with. We hit 31 years of marriage in 2025, and somehow she still makes the season brighter just by showing up. Sweet enough to warm your heart, sarcastic enough to keep me honest. Perfect combo.

Sunday brought us back to US Bank Stadium, because what else are Vikings fans gonna do but show up and hope for the best? It’s been a tough season, no sugarcoating it, but we still walked in thinking maybe this would be the one that turns things around. The stadium looked great, the crowd was fired up and, for a moment, it felt like anything was possible. Minnesota optimism is undefeated, even if the team isn’t.

It was Avery’s turn to join me at the game, and of course it happened to be about ten below outside, because Minnesota likes to keep us humble. Getting there wasn’t exactly a joyride, but we hopped on the light rail and it dropped us right at the stadium doors, saving us from turning into father-son popsicles. Cold or not, always fun getting to take him to a game.

Miss Sheri and Luke ended up having their own little adventure. They heard Minnesota Hall of Famer John Randle was at Launch Pad Golf, so they made a beeline over to meet him and launch a few drives into the snowy abyss. Randle’s one of the greatest defensive tackles ever, the face-painted, trash-talking spark plug who basically ran on pure chaos and quarterback fear, so getting a few minutes with him made their quick stop feel pretty legendary. They weren’t there long, but it definitely counted as a win for Team Sheri and Luke.

JJ McCarthy got the start again, which at this point feels like the right call. It’s been a rough couple of months watching him try to figure it out, but after last week in Seattle, we learned Max Brosmer isn’t exactly riding in on a white horse either. Might as well let the kid play the rest of the season and see if he’s going to grow into an NFL quarterback or if we need to start sketching out a new plan for next year.

Our opponent today was Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. They’ve had plenty of their own challenges this season, which is a surprise after the electric year Daniels put together in 2024. Still, he’s fun to watch, and we were looking forward to seeing what he could do up close. Of course, that didn’t mean we wanted anything good to actually happen for them. Admire the talent, hope for the loss. Classic game-day mindset.

The Vikings finally gave us something to cheer about, unloading on Washington 31–0 and snapping that brutal losing streak with their first home win in months. After two weeks of looking completely lost, JJ McCarthy came out firing with three touchdowns and the kind of confidence we’ve been begging to see, while the defense grabbed three takeaways and sent Jayden Daniels to the sideline after shutting down the Commanders early. It doesn’t magically fix the season, but it does make the final stretch a lot more fun, and for one Sunday at least, Minnesota optimism actually paid off.

Luminiscence Lights Up the Minneapolis Basilica

 

Luminiscence Lights Up the Minneapolis Basilica

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for November 23, 2025

Caught up with my old Oracle Direct crew for lunch on Monday. George, Ross, and Orlando still bring the same chaotic energy they had back in the cube farm. Half the time we’re laughing, the other half we’re arguing about football like it’s a contact sport. Two Bears fans, one Packers fan, and me trying to defend the Vikings without pulling a hamstring. Still, for an hour, it felt like old times in the best way.

Saturday night we met up with our good friends Sue and Ron Korkowski before heading to this thing called Luminiscence at the Minneapolis Basilica. I didn’t really know what we were walking into, but since we were planning to spend the rest of the night inside a church, we figured it was only fair to stop at Hell’s Kitchen first. Seemed like a good chance to get a few sins in before the evening’s unofficial absolution.

This was my first-ever visit to the Basilica in Minneapolis, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. The place is massive up close, way bigger and more detailed than anything you appreciate driving by on Hennepin. It was built in the early 1900s and became the first basilica in the entire United States, and it shows off with every inch of stone, arches, and ornate design. You walk in and immediately get why this building has its own reputation.

Once the lights dropped, the whole place came alive with this show called Luminiscence. It’s basically a full 360-degree light and sound takeover where the stone walls turn into moving artwork. They project color, stained-glass patterns, history, all of it, while a live choir and orchestra push the whole thing into goosebump territory. It started in Europe and sold out everywhere it went, and now Minneapolis gets to be the first stop in the U.S. You don’t just watch it. You feel the whole building wake up around you.

What really blew me away was the tech behind this thing. The video mapping was so precise it felt like the entire Basilica was changing shape right in front of us. Columns, statues, arches… everything looked like it was melting into new colors and textures. I’ve never seen a light show even close to this level. And with the live classical music filling the whole space – Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, all of it – the place didn’t just look different, it felt different. It was honestly the most impressive blend of tech and art I’ve ever experienced in a church or anywhere else for that matter.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this nearly as much as I did, but the whole thing was honestly incredible. The way the projections, narration and music pulled the Basilica’s history together made it feel less like a show and more like the building was telling its own story. Every time the colors shifted, you’d catch something new you hadn’t seen the first time. By the end, I just sat there taking it all in. Not bad for a random Saturday night in Minneapolis where I thought I was just going to look at some pretty lights.

We always have a great time with Sue and Ron, and this whole night was Sue’s idea. She’s constantly finding these fun, quirky experiences we never would’ve discovered on our own, and somehow they always end up being a blast. This one definitely landed. Nights like this remind me how lucky we are to have friends who pull us into new adventures. Can’t wait to see where the next one takes us.

@toddswank Aaron Rodgers is officially selling his Green Bay house… and honestly, even the place looks relieved. Steelers U-Haul is already warming up in the driveway. #A#AaronRodgersG#GreenBayP#PackersS#SteelersNFL ♬ Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Billy Joel

@toddswank Luminescence at The Basilica in Minneapolis is absolutely amazing! #luminescence #basilica #lightshow ♬ original sound - Todd Swank

Winterfest at St. Mark's in Shakopee

Winterfest at St. Mark's in Shakopee

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for February 26, 2017

Monday was President's Day so no work or school for us.  So we headed to Luke's next year school, Minnesota State Mankato, with his future room-mate, Jackson, and his mom.  We had a chance to visit with future professors and see some potential dorm rooms.  Hard to believe we are going to be empty nesters in only 6 months!

It was baby Blue's 2nd birthday this week, so Sunny threw him a little party.  Here's a video of us all singing him Happy Birthday:

On Thursday night, the boys robotics team, KING TeC, hosted an engineering career night at the high school, so we went and did some volunteer work for that.

Miss Sheri wanted to make us feel popular, so we gave away free cookies and water to everyone who attended.  People sure do like cookies.

On Friday night, we connected with our good friends the Brown and Zitzewitz Family for some pizza at the Tin Shed in Shakopee.   People sure do like pizza.

We then went to Karl and Tina's house afterwards to try their new popcorn maker.  It tastes so much better when it comes out of a big red and white box like this.  People sure do like popcorn.

We then spent most of the evening trying to compete with young Anna in some dancing game on the XBox.  She was pretty tough to beat, but we all gave it our best shot!

On Saturday night, we headed to a Catholic Church in Shakopee called St. Mark's for their annual winterfest celebration.  Boy, was that a rowdy time!

Our friends, Jen and Dan Walters, have been coming to this event for years and always told it was such a good time, so we decided to join them.

It had a German theme to the event so there were a lot of people dressed like this guy.  I've never worn lederhosen before, but they look pretty comfortable.  

The German people also appear to have really long horns.  I'm not sure what that means, but I'm sure there has to be some significance.

We ate with a really fun group.  It's important to have that when the night is spent screaming "Ziggy Zaggy Ziggy Zaggy Oi Oi Oi!"

Miss Sheri and I aren't big fans of German food.  The bratwurst and pork was good, but the rest of it can go back to Germany as far as I'm concerned.

I've never drank beer and gambled in a church before, but it seemed like the thing to do!  When in Rome...

The snuff guy was very popular.  I tracked him down a few times to take a whiff, but I think I'm still paying for it today.

The Winnebago River in Mason City, Iowa

The Winnebago River in Mason City, Iowa

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for May 22, 2016

On Monday night, we attended the annual Prior Lake Robotics KING TeC #2169 FRC team's awards banquet.  It was a great event that honored the team's achievements and accomplishments for the past year.

The juniors were sad to say farewell to the seniors and started to learn what their responsibilities would be for next year.  Jackson, Katie, and Luke were all named captains of the team next year along with 3 others.   Avery expects to be heavily involved in the programming department.  We're excited to see what the future holds for next year's team!

Miss Sheri, Jen, and I collected money for the banquet and sold Lakefront Music Fest tickets.  I think we looked pretty darn good while doing it.

Krazy Kory stopped by for a visit as he came up to St. Paul for a job interview.   He played a game of bags with us and then left to prep for his interview and get a good night's sleep.  It must have worked out well for him, because he got the job!

On Friday, we drove down to Mason City, Iowa to meet my ex-brother-in-law Cliff, his wife, Claudia, and their daughter, Chloe.  Unfortunately, Cliff's mom, Fran Nelson, passed away at the age of 89 last week and we met them there for the funeral.  It was great to see Cliff and his family, but of course we wish it would have been under better circumstances.

Cliff said he was nervous because he had to deliver a eulogy for his mom and claims not to be much of a public speaker.  But he did such a good job at paying homage to his mom.  He was funny, inspirational, moving, and engaging all at once.  Cliff told us about the challenging life his mom had lived, but honored her memory by sharing with all of us the lessons she'd learned in life and all the love she gave to those around her.  Fran Nelson will be missed.

On Friday night, I met up with some members of the Hornbuckle and Bailey clans to attend the opening night of horse racing at Canterbury Downs.  

I also enjoyed the time I got to spend with the lovely Jen & Madison.  Madison had her arm in a sling after a mishap which left her with a shattered shoulder blade.  Something about the word shattered mixed with any different body part always makes me cringe a bit, so I wish Madison a very speedy recovery!

I usually lose money when betting on the horses, but I followed the strategies of Jason and Mike and ended up walking out of there with more money than I walked in with which is always a good thing!

On Saturday, the weather was beautiful so we decided to pull the boat out of storage and go for our first ride of 2016.  Our buddy, Orlando, and his daughter joined us for the maiden voyage.

The water is still pretty cold so we all did our best to stay out of it except for the kids who wanted to go tubing for awhile.  Lucky for all of us, I was able to keep them on top of the raft and didn't send them off into the drink.  That would have been funny and sad all at the same time.

The birds are back.  We got that going for us.

Luke and Avery's Affirmation of Baptism

Luke and Avery's Affirmation of Baptism

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for October 27, 2013

On Tuesday night, we had the opportunity to enjoy the first band concert of the Prior Lake High School 9th grade band.   It was harmonious. 

Luke still plays the percussion although here it looks like he may be plotting a prank instead.  Hopefully, it doesn't involve toilet paper or pumpkin smashing.  

Avery is still horning in on playing the trombone.  He keeps talking about quitting band, but we're hoping he doesn't follow through on that because I really don't think there's nearly enough tromboners in the world.  This also may be why he wants to quit.  He hates when I refer to him as a tromboner.

After the concert, the students had to go in to the gym to pose for their yearbook photo.  I had no idea the group was so square. but it appears they really fit well together.

On Friday night, we headed to our church for a weekend full of activities for us to prepare for Luke and Avery's Affirmation of Baptism.  It was a nice chance for us to review the boy's spiritual journey over the past four years of confirmation classes and get to hold hands and pray around a candle.  A very nice weekend indeed!

We are very proud of them going through this process!

We had a couple of Grandmas join us for the ceremony and they were pretty proud of them also.

As a matter of fact, there were a lot of kids there getting confirmed and they had plenty of proud family members there as well.  Believe it or not, this is only half the number of kids who were confirmed this year at Luke and Avery's church.  The other half were confirmed at the later service.

Our little babies are almost all growed up now.  

Driving home from church, we saw this puppy dog going for a ride in his owner's backpack.  We debated if the dog loves it or is terrified by doing this.  I think we settled on that the dog loves it!

On Saturday night, the boys went to a Halloween party at a friend's house.  The thing I like the least about them going to high school is I no longer get invited to parties with them any more.  No Fair!