Five minutes with Chelsea Brendlen of Brendlens' Lowcountry Christmas

Most families can decorate their homes for the holidays within a weekend. Maybe two. The Brendlens have to take at least two months.

For about 14 years, the Brendlen family of Ridgeland has been turning their yard into a veritable winter wonderland of the Lowcountry. The family of five strings more than 80,000 lights and sets up about 80 illuminated displays. Light-up elves, Santas, ice skaters, snowmen and other Christmas characters roam their property every night through the end of the month.

The family invites visitors to come and look. They ask for donations to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Chelsea Brendlen explains her family's love for the lights.

Question. What made you start decorating your house?

Answer. I guess we started doing it for fun just like everyone else. Then, when we had kids, we started doing it more. And then we decided we could raise money with it, and then we really tried to make it bigger.

Q. And just your family is involved?

A. It's just us and our land. We have three children. It's just the five of us and my mom. We've got five acres. It's a drive-through display so you can go back and wind back out. We get about a dozen or so a night. Before Christmas we get a pretty steady line. We give out candy canes and give out shirts to people who donate.

Q. How long does it take to set this up?

A. We get them out in October and start testing. Then in November we start setting them up.

Q. Do the neighbors mind?

A. We don't have many neighbors, but they enjoy it. We get a lot of people who ask about it. We're definitely known as the Christmas light house.

Q. Do your kids get pretty excited about it or are they over it?

A. Sometimes we talk about not doing that much, but the kids always want to do it. People talk to you about it so it gets you energized to do it.

Q. How's your electric bill?

A. It goes up a couple hundred dollars. Not as bad as it could be. But it's worth it to see all the smiling faces.

This story was originally published December 17, 2011 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Five minutes with Chelsea Brendlen of Brendlens' Lowcountry Christmas."