Hi Laurel,
The D5100 is a great camera. It's advantage over the D7000 is that it's lighter and smaller. The D7000 is built stronger due to a metal body. They share the same sensor but the auto focus on the D7000 is superior using 39 focus points and 9 crosshairs vs 11 focus points and one cross hair for the D5000. The D7000 has two command dials making it easier to control basic functions without having to dive into the menus. However B&H Photo is giving an additional $150 off on the D5100 so there's a difference of over $500 between the two.
I'd still go with the D7000 but it's your money. The ability to focus better and faster will, I believe, always pay off in the end.
As for lenses, the better lenses are bigger, heavier and more expensive. There's a 55-300 zoom that's gotten good reviews. The 55-200 is a little bigger and heavier and may be worth the additional cash. I process all my images in Nikon Capture NX2. I shoot in raw and this program allows me to make a lot of subtle adjustments. It also negates any lens distortion if you choose to enable this function.
Check out DPReview.com for reviews and forums where everything is debated ad infinitum. They're the gold standard.
Good luck,
Marvin
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