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Santa Claus has a mean jump shot.
Maybe it's all that practice he has shooting hoops in the Brendlen's yard every night.
He has plenty of company there, from gingerbread children to skating children and snowman.
Barry and Chelsea Brendlen, along with their children, Ashley, Allison and Johnny, decorate their 1570 Driggers Lane home in Ridgeland every year with all sorts of lights and displays.
Decorating might even be a bit of an understatement.
This year's display has more than 80,000 lights covering 80 yard displays.
Many are animated - like Santa playing basketball, gingerbread children on a seesaw, swing set, sliding board and jumping rope. There are fishing scenes with leaping fish and frogs, a toyland scene and Santa's workshop with elves hard at work putting presents on a conveyer belt.
A 30-foot long Nativity scene, ice skaters and a train fill out the fun display. There is even a forest of trees that dance.
Putting together the remarkable display keeps the family busier than Santa's elves all fall.
"We spend many months thinking about our display and in September start getting our lights and displays out of storage and start the long processs of testing, replacing and fixing the displays," they say on their Website, www.brendlenslowcountrychristmas.com.
They flip the lights on Nov. 29 and keep them on nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., except this week when they will stay on until 11 p.m. through Christmas. They will be lit each night through Dec. 31.
This is the third year the family has partnered with 98.7 The River and Backus Children's Hospital to raise money for "Christmas Wish."
Children with cancer can receive toys, clothes, bedding or cameras. Families don't receive cash but Sun Trust Visa gift cards so they can shop for Christmas.
Donations are accepted and while supplies last, donors get free t-shirts.
For more information or to read the letters submitted visit www.987theriver.com then click on 2010 Christmas Wish.

ISLAND PACKET / BEAUFORT GAZETTE
Five minutes with Chelsea Brendlen of Brendlens' Lowcountry Christmas
By JUSTIN PAPROCKI The Island Packet
Published Saturday, December 17, 2011

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