Thank you guys very much for all your input, you've been very helpful and made the process a lot less daunting.
I went to today and tested a few bikes and I ordered the Trek 7.3 FX 25", it was by far the best fit and it was a pleasant ride. The 29er just felt soooo slow and and every pedal made me bounce.
The bike should be coming in roughly 2 weeks, possibly and hopefully less. I can't wait to take it out by the lake paths, luckily that's my bike ride to work.
Again, thank you very much.