It is 1933, during the Depression, and being Christmas Eve, the Walton family are in the midst of their Christmas preparations and hoping to celebrate it together. The problem is that there are many events which seem to prevent John Walton from arriving home to share this Christmas with his family.

The first eight seasons of the Walton are being relived through flashbacks.

Erin Walton is considering marrying her boyfriend Paul but her old boyfriend Ashley would like to get her back, Paul is not going to give her up so easily. Also Mary Ellen's boyfriend Jonesy is a veterinarian trying to establish a practice but nobody thinks he is competent.

Mary Ellen marries Jonesy but they don't exactly have a good start. While on their honeymoon, she suffers an accident that leaves her unable to bear children. She then shuts everyone, even Jonesy out. She then decides to go to the one person who could understand what she's going through, her mother, who is in Arizona recuperating.

Trotz scheinbar unüberwindlicher Schwierigkeiten finden sich die zahlreichen, über die USA weit verstreuten Familienmitglieder der Waltons samt ihren Freunden zum traditionellen Erntedankfest im Stammhaus der Familie zusammen. Bei der Gelegenheit können sie einen Teil ihrer beruflichen und persönlichen Probleme gemeinsam lösen.

1963. John und Olivia Walton bereiten das Thanksgiving, das Erntedankfest, vor. An diesem Tag werden ihre sieben Kinder, zum Teil mit Familie zu ihnen kommen, um im Kreise der Familie zu feiern. Da bringen die Medien eine schreckliche Nachricht: Präsident John F. Kennedy ist ermordet worden! Die ganze Nation ist zutiefst erschüttert. So auch die Waltons!

John-Boy Walton bittet Janet Gilchrist, seine Frau zu werden. Bis zur Hochzeit in Walton Mountain muss das junge Paar verschiedene Schwierigkeiten meistern und etliche Hürden nehmen. Aber dann kann die Trauung endlich im Kreise der Familie vorgenommen werden!

It's 1969 and John-Boy is the TV news anchor person in New York and is in the throes of writing a new book. He and a very pregnant Janet are making plans to return to Walton's Mountain for the celebration of John and Olivia's 40th wedding anniversary. Accompanying them is Aurora, a Time magazine photographer, who is doing a story on John-Boy.