GaryE,
The Canon 5D II does still "and" Hi-Def video all in one nice little package. They run around 2500 for the body but, it's well worth the price of admission considering it's flexibility. Quite a few of the travel shows on TV are using the 5D II as primary video cameras for their productions, as well as a few wedding videographers I know. It also has a full size sensor that captures stills in 22 megapixels so image quality is outstanding.
Winter and Custer,
Taking photos of the fam is exactly how I got started. If your cameras have a built-in flash, I highly recommend using it all the time. Even during the day. The fill light it provides makes for some nice photos. Also, if your cameras have a "program" setting, use that as opposed to the "auto" setting. You can get more control from the "P" setting without sacrificing the automatic exposure feature that makes them so easy to use. It might take a little trial and error to get up to speed on the setting but, the control is well worth the time and effort.
Hope this helps.
happy clicking Brothers