After Mary unexpectedly un-invites her family to watch her play basketball at an important game, the Camdens begin to make other plans for themselves. Lucy is angry with Mary because she invited Ashley--a popular girl in Lucy's school, to her game. Simon, Ruthie, and Happy get lost in town while pretending to be spies and following their mailman all over town. Lucy was supposed to to be babysitting them, but was instead entertaining herself and Ashley by talking on the phone with her boyfriend Jimmy Moon. Eric is faced with counseling a young boy who is once again back on his drug habit that is affecting his family.

Simon rightly fears he'll catch roommate Ruthie's chicken-pox, but his enterprising hygienic measures fail to prevent contagion from her, or from Happy's fleas. When a robber carjacks them, Annie seems calm and hands their valuables, so Matt feels 'unmanly' and guilty. However, Anne breaks down at an identification lineup. Jimmy Moon stands against Lucy in the school elections, then turns to her parents for help. The church organist veers bizarrely from brilliance to disharmony.

While both couples, Annie and Eric, Patricia and Morgan Hamilton, spend a romantic Valentine's Day camping, Matt is left in charge of the rest of the family and allows chaos to rein in the Camden household. His preoccupation with his date and Mary's party allows the dog, Happy. to slip out of the house in search of her puppies. When a car hits Happy, the family holds a vigil, aided by a caring veterinarian. Simon blames Matt for the accident. Lucy is enjoying her first Valentine's Day with her boyfriend Jimmy Moon.

Simon is eager to resume the baseball season, but not to get the mandatory tetanus-shot, but also a master at scaring needle-phobic Matt who has to accompany him and could fake it. Jimmy Moon needs some tutoring, so Lucy gets Mary to do it, but son regrets it, fearing big sister is falling for her boy-friend. Eric wants the parish to hire fraud-convicted Ron Kramer, an organist to the choirmaster's taste. Lou Dalton's vestry considers that as imprudent as having no security system in church and recruits Annie to be treasurer and draft a budget before the matter is settled, even threatening to fire Eric.

Eric and Annie selfishly expect the kids to start the school year on routine so they can enjoy a lazy day alone together, but ill-prepared means in trouble. Nazi-style principal Russell has plenty of collaborating staff to enforce draconian discipline for 'gang and drug offenses' according to absurd new rules none saw coming, such as Simon's cutlery earning a suspension for 'concealed weapons'. Only Mary is happy with an ex-Olympic new basketball coach Koper, who meanwhile terrorizes Matt because of the beeper his father forgot when he borrowed Matt's jacket. Simon's buddy system only helps against a potential bully. Lucy makes her own life hell while Mary rudely fails to work in new guy Marcus, a natural flirt. The whole school buzzes about Lucy's classmate Peter McKinley's apparent suicide attempt. In fact Eric, called in by the police, discovers it's a desperate cry for help after 13 years of deaf tyranny from his insensitive, clueless single mother.

After Simon's school project volcano is carelessly ruined by brainless Ruthie, it's time for him to move to his own room. He's less happy with the isolated attic he's supposed to go to, but Matt agrees to move there and hand over his room, eager to 'move' to an out of state college anyway. Wilson calls Mary, but only to babysit Billy while he takes his date to her prom. Despite home advice, Mary performs miserably, yet Wilson returns early, having decided he only wants a girl who tells he family about Billy. Lucy desperately recruits enough big sibling support to get permission to go eat in town with two 'cool' sisters. Being driven in their car is forbidden, which turns out to be a life-saver, alas literally, leaving a guilt problem.

Little Sarah James is found wandering on the streets. Warmly welcoming Simon wins her confidence while Eric and a cop friend search and find her pa, Joe, an unrepentant lush and decide a more stable educator is required. Matt meanwhile tiptoes, realizing ma makes a last ditch stand to talk him out of 'moving out' to a Tennessee college, and rudely intruding pest Ruthie first diverts, then scares off his older date Mollie.

When Mary triumphantly announces that she's earned her driving permit, Simon and Lucy announce that they're going to ride the school bus. The cool kids at the back of the bus ostracize Simon and Lucy doesn't fare any better when a presumptuous freshman puts the moves on her. Matt is on his way to school when he spots a pregnant girl stranded on the side of the road. When he takes a look under the hood of her broken down car, the girl takes off in his car. As the children pile off Simon's bus, a tough kid, Nick, starts to bully nerdy Marvin for a copy of his essay. Simon intervenes and suggests that Marvin help Nick write his own assignment and Nick gives Simon's plan a thumbs- up. Eric pays a call on Elizabeth Brown, a parishioner who lost her son three years ago. She tearfully confides that she just can't seem to get past her grief. Eric suggests that she spend a little time each day doing something for herself. Later at the beauty salon, Elizabeth overhears a woman joyfully exclaim how happy she is just to be alive. Elizabeth finds out that the woman had undergone a heart transplant. Matt is relieved when the police arrive on the scene of the car jacking, until they arrest him for suspicion of grand theft auto! Later, Elizabeth asks Eric if he would find out if the woman from the salon was the recipient of her son's heart. The next day, Eric meets Carolyn, who is upbeat and delightful, but not the recipient of Elizabeth's son's heart. Later, Eric and Sgt. Michaels track down Theresa, the pregnant teen who stole Matt's car, and set up a meeting with her parents. At school, the girlfriend of Lucy's freshman admirer warns her to quit riding the bus. Mary refuses to help Lucy because she's hurt that Lucy won't ride in the car with her. That evening, Theresa's parents arrive at the Camden's and remain cold and unrelenting. Two weeks later, Elizabeth, Carolyn and Theresa happily join Eric in his church office. Eric had suggested that Theresa move in with Elizabeth, and .. _

Simon is verbally threatened with gun-violence by Deena's ex-boyfriend, Johnny Morton. School regulations don't allow precipitous action, but Eric's police friend tells him Johnny has a record and his family owns a registered gun. Meanwhile, Jordan is patient with Lucy's weird idea about 'romantic' slapping; Mary's careless basketball blackens Matt's eye, but he thinks Mary might be in real danger if she dates Shana's suave but violent brother George.

With the twins birth impending, Eric makes the kids' life miserable by fussing and over-planning, yet blames Matt for preparing the youngsters for what's ahead. Annie adds to the mess by inviting over the Hamiltons, just so Patricia can help her ward off the parish busybodies, who forced a baby-shower on her so they can snoop around the church-owned home. Ruthie acts as if a victim when classmate Bobby points out her underwear visible by failing to wear school-regulation shorts. Her elder siblings are pushed to confront Boby's family, but his brothers aren't only taller, like their dog, they also bond with Matt and Mary and end up turning on the brats together.

Simon plans a fancy-restaurant dinner to celebrate Deena's birthday; when her college-musician big brother comes along as chaperone, Lucy eagerly accepts his invitation to join them. Matt joins Sargent Michaels on nightly patrol and hides to avoid being seen by frat friends and freaks out when he discovers Mary kissing her 'movie-date', Michael Towner, in the police car. Eric promises elderly Burt and Cheryl Carberry that he'll take their beloved dog 'Mom' to be euthanized, but when he can't bring himself to, they end up in the park meeting a stray Labrador who is fleeing from abuse.

Matt tutors silver spoon James Potter in history, refuses to help him cheat but is still in trouble when the professor smells a rat. Simon's new classmate Lee Patterson boasts his cool dad works with FBI and even NASA, but actually is an unemployed ex-con and petty marijuana dealer. Lucy regrets taking a school secretary job, is flattered when older hunk Tyler asks her for a dance, but that bubble bursts when he actually wants the password to enter the school computer.

The whole community is shocked to see Mary and half her Wildcats team meanly vandalized the school's gym. Simon and Ruthie feel guilty for not telling they overheard her planning 'something extreme', so they seek redemption in Catholic confession, a synagogue and a Buddhist temple. Matt feels guilty enough to move back in and resume his task as big brother, only to find that o longer requires his presence and return to his house-mates. Eric calls a marker on lawyer Bill Mays, he gets her in to a trial-avoiding parole office 'last chance' program.

Eric's reading of an anonymous letter, the juvenile author of which he later shamelessly tracks down, asking for prayer, the power of which he praises blindly, starts an epidemic of selfish praying. Matt and his roommate want female companionship, but Raven of mixed exotic extraction only complicates their lives. Simon hopes to mend with Deena's family, Mary to undo the break-up with Robbie. Lucy secretly wants Andrew but only if he loves her, and gets to meet his namesake in church.

After Eric is approached by a mystery girl he can't identify, who won't tell her problem, the Camden parental paranoia extends to preventive preying, so the kids assume one of them must be in trouble. After Lucy launches the theory her siblings may invent colorful friends to 'test' their own fib stories, pointless palavers abound. Simon proves his funny classmate Luke is real, Mary is keeping an outsider's secret. Hank blames Matt for his marital crisis just for accidentally giving jealous aunt Julie the impression Hank shares a secret with Matt, who thus gets a wealthy lodger on top of his roommate till further notice.

Eric rightly predicts that the kids will only be more trouble in the new school year, yet Annie enrolls in a college course. Simon's only friend is Jim, who drags him along into minor vandalism as a gang initiation. Matt grudgingly admits that Heather left him at the altar; Lucy learns that Andrew Nayloss made an irreversible mistake in France (his father sent him to Europe to keep him far away from Lucy over the summer). Mary starts a minimum-wage job and gets a credit card and still doesn't see college in her future.

Irresponsible 'adult' Mary fails to realize how deep she's sinking, but both parents and siblings piece together from various sources she's about to hit rock-bottom but have no idea how to help? Eric can barely keep Annie from intervening directly before they know everything. The kids decide to 'borrow' enough from the twins' full piggybanks to cover her debts, but creditors seeing cash convince her to 'refinance, which would mean even more interest.

Simon lets his mate Luke set them up with the Murphy twins, who fall for his cool 'bad boy' image by association with Mary, but the vixens make the knaves join them in shoplifting and other mischief. Matt falls in love at first sight with a girl in a wedding dress, actually model Julie. Only Mike teaches Lucy how to handle gossip. Annie seeks comfort with a friend, positive thinking guru Robin, who turns out rather negative.

Eric threatens Robbie with eviction because he thinks he's keeping secrets about Mary. The house is abuzz with secrets and preparations for an elaborate surprise party for Eric's birthday. Johnny drops Mercy on the Camdens' doorstep after Frankie abandons them. Mike trusts Lucy enough to look after his mother for a day, during which the woman surprises her, both by speaking and by what she says.

Robbie amuses sneaky cookie-thief Ruthie by nicknaming her Snookie and sets straight Lucy's far less flattering interpretation. Wilson diplomatically handles Mary's absurd blaming him for her failed fire department application after she set fire to the colonel's curtains. Despite Eric's continuous meanness, Simon acts most responsibly when a kid only he, not even a teacher, defended against school bullies mentions planning to shoot them. Eric confronts the supervisor of a firm's staff where 'pranks' extend to stealing a prosthetic arm an counsels his ex Merle on forgiveness.

Robbie has spent too much time with Joy on top of his two jobs, so he demands a day off to study. She insists 'just this one day' and Eric convinces Robbie he should at least find out if it's a special day. On his way, he finds and picks up a stray dog tagged in Arizona. It turns out to be the pet who disappeared exactly two years ago with Joy's kid brother Joseph, and might now lead the police to the boy and his abductor. At home, the girls ask their parents to select ideal partners, leading to lots of speculation. Matt and Simon's attempt to pick up suitable girls by walking the twins backfires.

Simon's big day, the start of his driving lessons, finally arrived, but Eric just forgot about it. Grandpa Jackson seduces the knave into driving him around without a license, which leads through more bad grandfatherly advice to a televised police car chase. Jealous of Joy, Matt behaves childishly toward Robbie whose gentleman's attitude ultimately gives in. Lucy hoped Jeremy called to make up, but he just wants his engagement ring back. The local fire chief isn't fooled by Mary's eagerness to transfer.

While Robbie visits his mother in Florida, Ruthie sneaks in her friend Yasmine Halawi, a Muslim girl who has become the target of two bullies on the street. The whole family feels obligated to help the whole Halawi family, who has lived in Glenoak for years without problems, but every attempt proves difficult or even counterproductive; Matt and Simon nearly beat up the wrong suspects, and Ruthie's private school's board votes against admitting Yasmine.

Ken Smith threatens the church because he disapproves of Mary's relationship with his son; Ben reads Lucy's diary; Simon's former girlfriend is rumored to be pregnant.

Eric has double bypass surgery and most of the family waits for results at the hospital. Ruthie stays home to watch the twins. Lucy tells her parents she is ready to accept a wedding proposal, but Kevin is no longer ready to propose.

Eric becomes the new DJ for a college radio station and he is immediately is involved in a suicide call by a student. Lucy continues to be upset about the partnership of Kevin with Roxanne.

Lucy tells Kevin she is thinking of quitting school, and he tells her the wedding is off if she quits. Annie and Eric help another couple face their marital problems and share their own problems. Roxanne leaves the police department.

Peter tells Ruthie she should talk to her parents about her problem. Simon asks someone else to the prom since Cecilia does not want to go. Annie talks to Sarah's mother.

The Camdens have a bad vacation;Simon is depressed over accidentally killing a classmate; Lucy and Kevin discuss starting a family; Mary deals with something she's not ready to share; Peter spends more time with the Camdens.

Simon hopes for an early graduation from school and asks Eric plead his case; Simon's advisor is also the son of a preacher; a bully bothers Ruthie; Kevin must babysit his boss's grandchild; Chandler is caught kissing another woman.

Weeks after the September 11 attacks, Eric challenges his parishioners to do something good for someone else and use their own special talents to help people in need; he must find his own way of giving to others.

When Roxanne's neighbor's home is robbed, she thinks the thief is the first young boy she's mentoring; Annie and Eric host a party for new neighbors who are hesitant to attend, fearing prejudice against them.

The high-school principal has a strict rule about only parents visiting the school; Eric informing her about a family that wants an exception leads to the school board investigating the principal.

Matt wants to drop out of medical school after Sarah leaves him. Rabbi Glass talks to Matt about Sarah. Kevin's ex-wife is in town and wants to have dinner with him and Lucy. Martin's aunt wants Martin to move with her to New York.

A school project gets Ruthie and Peter in trouble as they write a newspaper article about two presidents containing false information. Annie's half-sister visits to discuss information about their father, but Annie does not want to listen.

Lucy thinks Kevin's partner is keeping secrets from him, such as she is trying to become a detective. Matt is having problems in his marriage. Martin learns that everyone thinks he is having sex with Cecilia.

When Martin and Mac go play darts in the pool hall with Kevin, he naughtily leaves without telling they are being mistaken for new police rookies, so notorious Venus picks up physically mature Martin, who gives her a ride home on request -even stranding Mac- but stays aloof until they discover both their fathers are Marines on war theater missions. Lucy makes sure dad finds out so Kevin starts calling round for Venus's phone number, which starts the rumor he's two-timing Lucy, who stupidly takes it seriously even from an amused petty criminal Kevin just arrested, while Mac spreads one about Martin scoring at high-school, where Venus turns up the next morning as substitute teacher. Another utterly undeserved 'my-house-my-rules' lecture from sanctimonious liar Eric decides Martin it's time to get emancipated and move out, that very evening. Then he spots two marines with a briefcase.Meanwhile Ben's own lie to hide he spent three days camping with Dr. Miranda Pearson has its own unpredictable consequences.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Eric, Annie, and the twins are still not home; Eric has a cold and Annie already blames him for ruining the family Thanksgiving again. Simon has brought Georgia home but she refuses to tell anyone about her pregnancy until they tell his parents; later she tells him she lied so he wouldn't leave her. Pregnant Lucy is moody and takes advantage of her condition, driving Kevin and Matt mad; the weather cancels Martin's camping trip. Lucy gets Matt to take her to the supermarket where she faints, and Matt's limited medical-student knowledge bothers Dr. Klein. When Ruthie calls from Puerto Rico, lonely because Carlos' family is occupied with the baby, Martin assures her that Thanksgiving is celebrated in overseas territories too.

Lucy is home from the hospital but is irritable, confined to bed rest. Kevin tells her to finish her studies. Martin is having problems at school and Ruthie learns his father's tour of duty is extended. Wayne Newton makes an appearance.

The cast shows their singing skills as the express their feelings about Valentine's Day. Simon starts dating another gal. The twins celebrate their birthday.

Eric tries to avoid telling his parents about Mary's divorce. Simon's fiancee wants him to move up the wedding date. Lucy learns the difficulties of being an associate pastor.

After a scary arrest which could have gone fatally wrong, Kevin decides to leave the police before someone gets hurts as he can no longer concentrate on anything but his young family. Ruthie brings over Meredith and her presumed boyfriend Jack, who proves a natural with babies and a nice senior - too old, so - and is on to her plan; Meredith actually is more interested in the other good boy, Tyler, who agrees with a demure kiss to date. The colonel arrives, winking to Martin about his Iraq veteran dad's gardening job and to Eric's surprise already knows about Charlie - even got and believes Mary's version that Carlos cheated on her, but Carlos explains she just 'caught' him dining with Cecily, the nanny he had to hire because Mary was never home. Simon first scolds, then consoles his ex Sandy for having seduced and made a baby with Martin. Eric spoils the twins fun playing cowboys with granddad because he bans all gun toys and is told to bother about real problems. Lou Dalton tells Eric most parishioners want Lucy fired as his associate pastor.

Kevin makes a fine Father Christmas and knows the ideal gift: a dog, but Lucy insists to wait till after the holidays, then sneakily goes to the asylum herself, only to find their tastes in canines differ greatly. Heathen Rose has no clue what Christmas has to do with Nativity, so she 'tests' the twins, but in the process makes them doubt if either Santa or Jesus really exist. Sandy isn't keen either to participate in the parish's nativity scene. In the end, things work out as by Christmas magic.

When Ruthie's new black classmate Alex insists on doing his 'Famous Americans' report on his idol Martin Luther King and no other, although his day was the week before, baseball teammate Martin Brewer's innocent remark that it's not worth risking his sports career for has absurd consequences, as if he, not the teacher, changed the assignment to reports on 'African-Americans' only, which annoys everybody who already wrote on classics which return every year. Someone is so pissed off that Martin's car gets vandalized with racist language, which the model of fairness refuses on principle to clean up a coward's mess. Kevin gets his former colleague Phil, now the officer in charge of hate crimes, on the case, while emotions run high throughout Glenoak.

When Ruthie asks T-Bone to help her get a job at his movie theater, to earn enough for an anniversary present reciprocating his engagement ring, he tells colleague Mac that he wants to use Eric's permission to break up with Ruthie but doesn't know how. Without asking, Mac uses T-Bone's cell phone to send Ruthie a text message meaning "I break up with you", and as if that weren't blunt enough accidentally copies it to the boy's entire phone-list, so everybody knows, only Ruthie doesn't get it. Lucy is furious at 'insensitive T-Bone', Anny blames Eric fearing his permission will overshadow the couple's own feelings. Margaret is furious, feeling used, when she hears Mac has taken full credit reading the Crawford English literature paper she helped him write; Jane says that kills her blossoming love for him, Mac feels an attack by lip contact is his best shot. Kevin is very eager to become sheriff in Crossroads, where he could make a real difference, but Lucy doesn't want to move and collects excuses, so they decide to ponder their choice a bit longer. Police captain Michaels tells Kevin the job pays great, but also offers him an alternative job without moving, now he's up for promotion to chief of police himself. Martin acts toward Jane as if they aren't together, but refuses Mac's suggestion to look for a more practical girl-friend, at his college. Ruthie considers dad's advice to leave T-Bone free to choose, true love comes trough anyway; T-Bone gets second thoughts...