Thank you everybody for your help!

I really do think a comfort bike will be more conducive to riding about with my kids, especially if I need a seat or a trailer to ride occasionally. I just need to spend another day or two looking.

I could easily pass a bike to either of my older daughters if I decide I no longer need it anymore. My older daughter is 13 and just a hair short of 5'9" so she would fit my same bike right off the bat. Plus, I can always send it to college with her in four years if I really need an upgrade at that point!

I'm not totally sure I need a road bike of any type yet. I want to jump in on a bike I really like to ride right now and see how it goes. But I would like to have the option to ride with my husband someday, and for sure he wouldn't be able to go slow enough for me on a pokey bike. Plus, I know the flat bar road bikes aren't "real" road bikes, but it was so fun to zip around fast on the few I tried!

I bet pulling a trailer with two kids develops a lot of muscle. I need to get some built or teach the soon-to-be three year old to ride a bike.

So now I just need to figure out if the Ventures are everything I need in a comfort bike or if there is something else out there that would suit my needs better. I have a list made already from the suggestions here. I'll have to find a day to get out of town and ride some again.