My New Journey: Week 4...Review (looking for your thoughts)

As I am sure that some of you noticed, I did not post anything on Sunday regarding My Journey. There is a reason for this.
I am a big believer in not moving on until you understand what you moved from. Well I am happy to say that I have gotten a good amount of responses for the past four weeks not necessarily on the comment section here but to my email as well. I guess that people feel more comfortable telling me how they feel individually verses putting it out there for the world to judge and I totally respect that. I am just happy to be getting the feedback that has been coming. Of course with feedback comes opinions and ideas, which I welcome open armed, but it brings up a lot of questions in me...which is great because that is why I am taking this journey to begin with. So I refuse to move on to the next verse until I am satisfied with what I have read...and that is sooo not the case right now.
So far, this is what I have gotten out of the readings and what I serioulsy need your help in better understanding. I am keeping it quite simple to avoid from turning this post into a book.

God created the world and everything in it, then created Adam. He told Adam not eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. God did not want Adam to be alone so he created Eve from Adam's rib. The serpent tricked Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. God went on to punish the serpent, the woman and the man. That is the basic idea that I took from these readings.

Now...
Someone please tell me if their Bible reads something different because it appears as though God told Adam not eat of the fruit of the tree before Eve was even created and yet she was punished too. I did not read that she was warned. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong or maybe it's just he version that I am reading so please someone help me out. At first I thought it was because she did not not listen to him after God told her "Your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." but that was said after the fact as part of the punishment to her. So how would she have known?
The punishments are also boggling to me. I mean it seems as though God's "punishment" was what created life as we know it...obviously. Actually more like it was way back when. The woman is the homemaker who has children and takes care of the home and obeys her husband. The husband is the breadwinner for the family. But times have changed and that is not the case anymore. Both husbands and wives go out into the world and work to provide for the family. So how does that effect the punishment. I mean woman are still the child bearers and I don't see that changing anytime soon...lol. But even "he shall rule over you" does not really exist anymore. Marriage is build on respect, partnership and compromise. It is a two way street of two people working together for the good of the family but that is not how God intended it for us according to the Bible. What does that say for us as humans? Do we dismiss this as a changing of the times? Is the Bible's interpretation to be adapted to today or are we all headed in a direction that was not intended for us?

I know that I am way out here but my mind sometimes wanders, even when I don't mean it too and I need to try to understand all this before I can move onto the next verse.
Please send me all your opinions and thoughts on this either through the comment section or just email me...thanks !


P.S. Bethany...I could really use your input here girl !
Tracy...I can't wait for the Bible Study at your church. If anyone needs it, it's me !