Alright Sandra,
A)You deserve it!! My mom is a year or two older then you(I forgot how old she is... I always guess younger!) and she just bought herself a new road bike, because after riding her Giant OCR for 3 years, she decided she DESERVED a new bike. She loved her bike, but she saw everyone else around her getting a new bike so she decided that it was time for her to get a new one. Now, my mom may ride anywhere from 0-4 times a week, her rides lasting anywhere from 8-25 miles. Her speed is slow, but she loves going out there and since she loves it, she deserves to have a bike she truly enjoys.

So what I am saying is, You DESERVE it, from everything you have told us on these boards, you love riding bikes and you seem to have done a pretty good job raising a great family, now it is time for you to splurge on yourself a little

Now the other thing I am going to say, I work at a LBS that sells both Giant and Jamis- I think they are both awesome bikes and what it comes down to is which one you feel best on, in my opinion neither bike is a better product. They are both great quality for what you are going to pay.(I have had 2 giants,ridden my mom's old OCR and have test ridden a Jamis, I loved all 4 bikes)

p.s. don't be afraid to put it on a bike rack! that is what they are made for :-)