It's the Christmas season and Eric has his three oldest children doing charity work for the community. Mary and Lucy aren't enthusiastic about the charity work that Eric wants them to do. Mary is working in a soup kitchen while Lucy has to organize auditions for the ""Live Nativity"" at the church. Meanwhile, Eric has given Matt a well-paid job as Santa Claus at the mall. Also, Simon is in the spirit of wearing his VERY tight candy cane pajamas and wanting to put on lights inside the house since he's not allowed to do it outside alone. As a family ritual, each family member picks a name out of a hat of who to get for Christmas while Eric and Annie cheat. Before going on his family vacation, Jordan accidently gives Lucy a gift that was meant for his uncle's monkey (shoe shine-kit), but was supposed to give her a basketball signed 'I Love You'. Also, Mary meets a a guy, Carlos at the soup kitchen who doesn't have a place to stay for Christmas, so Mary invites him to stay over at their hous

In the eighth season premiere, the Camden's spend the last week of summer at a beach house. At the beginning of the summer, Simon killed Paul Smith in an automobile accident. Simon is having a hard time dealing with the fact that he killed him and everyone tries to help him. Eric and Annie try to push Simon to go back to school which begins in a week. Eric would like Paul's parents (guest-stars Katie Mitchell and Mark Moses) to accept the insurance companies offer to the money. Paul's brother vandalizes the church by adding graffti to the sign saying "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Simon runs away to New York to get away from the troubles he is having in Glenoak.

Also, Lucy and Kevin discuss possibly having a child. Peter is spending a lot of time around Ruthie and the Camden family. Ruthie finds out about Mary and Carlos being married.

Mary makes a surprise visit home to deliver unexpected news to Eric and Annie. Meanwhile, Simon tells Cecilia that he needs space. Also, Lucy and Kevin adjust to married life. Chandler breaks up with Roxanne after learning that she isn't comfortable with the idea of being a preacher's wife, while Roxanne seeks Kevin's advice on dealing with a dispirited Chandler. Also, the Camdens finally learn who's pregnant. Lastly, Eric ponders Simon's academic future and Annie prepares for a potentially tense dinner engagement.

During his Sunday sermon, Eric proposes that instead of a financial contribution, everyone should make a commitment to reach out and help someone in need. Kevin suggests that he and Lucy work together to set up a neighborhood watch program, but she feels passionate about working with Habitat for Humanity. Eric calls his new son-in-law Carlos (guest-star Carlos Ponce) and asks him to fly in without Mary for dinner with the family, which makes Carlos very nervous. Also, Ruthie picks a shy new girl at school as her project and soon finds out that she has a secret. Meanwhile, Peter picks Ruthie as his project, which prompts her to tell him that they should spend less time together. Chandler and Roxanne keep running into each other stirring up old feelings. Lastly, Annie becomes jealous of all of the time the twins are spending with Cecilia.

It's Camden chaos all around when Matt, who is having problems in his marriage to Sarah, returns to Glenoak for a visit and runs into his ex-girlfriend Heather on his flight to Glenoak. Simon unexpectedly announces he's coming home for the summer.

Also, Lucy sets out to discover why Roxanne is suddenly too busy to hang out with her as she's convinced that Roxanne is secretly trying to become a detective behind Kevin's back. Ruthie keeps a secret about a fellow student from her parents. Lastly, Martin learns that his baseball teammates think he's having sex with Cecilia.

The Camden chaos continues with Matt, who is trying to salvage his marriage, questioning whether he still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend Heather; Simon's return to Glenoak creates conflicted feelings for his ex-girlfriend Cecilia, who is torn between her feelings for Simon and her current boyfriend Martin; Ruthie's foreign exchange student friend Maria, appears to be making the moves on Ruthie's boyfriend Peter; and grandparents-to-be Eric and Annie hop a plane for New York, despite Mary's repeated pleas for her family to stay away.

As election day approcahes, Ruthie is on a mission to develop her own opinions about politics after seeing how much Martin knows about world politics. Meanwhile, both Eric and Annie are suspicious that the other did not vote in the last election. Also, Lucy is feeling the pressure of registering to vote and is surprised to learn that Kevin hasn't changed his address and therefore isn't registered either.

Eric is having a hard time teaching the twins that politics are not stupid. Lastly, the family gets a nice call from Carlos and baby Charles.

With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, Eric and the kids notice that Annie is acting strangely, especially after she learns that Matt and Sarah (guest-star Sarah Danielle Madison) won't be able to spend the holidays in Glenoak. In fact, the majority of the family has made plans of their own and Eric worries how Annie will take the news. Mary (Jessica Biel does not appear in this episode) and Carlos (guest-star Carlos Ponce) decide to spend the holiday in Puerto Rico with Carlos' family and invite Ruthie to join them.

Meanwhile, Simon, who has something to tell his parents, but can't get up the nerve. Instead he decides to stay at school for work. Also, Martin has plans to go camping with Mac (guest-star Kyle Searles). Lastly, a strong-willed and pregnant Lucy is determined to do the cooking and decorating this year.

After discovering that Mary (Jessica Biel, who does not appear in the episode) has filed for divorce and signed away custody of her son, Matt is at a loss for how he should to break the awful news to Eric and Annie. Simon informs his new girlfriend, Rose (guest-star Sarah Thompson), that he won't have sex with her, but avoids telling her the reason behind his decision. She gets fed up with him but comes back to him when she finds out his true intentions for them---marriage. Meanwhile, Ruthie's boyfriend, Vincent (guest-star Thomas Dekker), asks Martin to get Ruthie to break up with him.

Also, Eric gets involved once again with the Davis family children when little boy Danny (guest-star Drake Johnston) is being adopted by Cecilia's parents, George and Gwen (guest-star Brad Maule and Holly Fulger), but forgets to mention that the kid is part of a package deal as Danny has three sisters in Social Services as well, and try to take them in as well. Kevin is about fed up with Lucy as he's fr

When Simon and his new girlfriend Rose (guest-star Sarah Thompson), make an unexpected visit to Glenoak to meet their respective parents, Annie begins to suspect their relationship might be on a fast track. She let's them know they are not allowed to sleep in the same room together in the house as they spend the night. Rose puts up a fight with both Annie and Simon over the sleeping arrangements, but eventually take will. Meanwhile, Eric hides the news of Mary's (Jessica Biel, who does not appear in the episode) divorce, worried that it will most certainly break Annie's heart.

Also, Martin becomes the third wheel again in Ruthie and Vincent's relationship as Ruthie thinks Martin is jealous of their relationship despite the fact that Vincent wants Martin to convince Ruthie to dump him. The adoption process for George (guest-star Brad Maule) and his wife over the Davis children becomes more complicated when their biological mother fights for the adoption process to not happen. Lastly, Ma

The Camdens find themselves in a series of difficult predicaments: Eric tries to avoid telling his parents, Ruth (guest-star Barbara Rush) and the Colonel (guest star Peter Graves), about Mary's divorce, and hoping that no one else in the family tells---e

After learning that he may be the birth father to Sandy’s (guest-star Haylie Duff) unborn child, Martin is left feeling very confused about what to do in his situation, while Simon can’t help but feel responsible for Martin’s dilemma because he introduced

Simon and Rose prepare for their wedding day, despite speculation that it is not the right decision. Annie and Eric go through countless scenarios in their minds as they reflect on how the wedding will actually turn out.Meanwhile, Rose's former boyfriend shows up unexpectedly. Ruthie considers studying in Scotland over the summer. Kevin, Lucy, Matt, and Sarah all have life-changing news, if only they can find the perfect time to share it with the family...and the surprises don't stop there!