I have a Cannon Elph and LOVE IT! It takes great pictures and has great resolution. We got it at Best Buy early November and paid about $400 for the camera, the accessory pack, and the 3 year waranty. The camera fits in my purse, so I always have it at "that moment" to take the pictures. Mine is 8 megapixels, which means if I set it to best resolution, I could have the picture printed at least 10x13 without loosing any quality.
If you have the time, go to a few camera shops and tell them what you want. They will recomend certain features based on your intended use. DO NOT GO READY TO BUY! You can too easily be swindled into the first camera mentioned and it may not truly be the best camera for you.
Also- some of my criteria was it HAD to have a view finder (not just the screen) because at night the screen is pretty much useless. It also had to have image stablization and sequential shooting. You may have other features that are a must.
Enjoy your shopping! My next camera will be a DSLR (probably Cannon D40) for the planned photos.