Vanessa Baxter (Nancy Travis) is a dedicated wife, caring mother/grandmother and a wisecracking geologist. After taking a break from her career to raise her three children, Vanessa returned to work and received a promotion shortly after, leaving less time for her family, less patience for their problems, and no patience for Mike’s “solutions.”
In Season 3-4, she decided to leave geology, and start going for a teaching degree. She is excited for her daughter marrying, and is still as loving as ever.born 1964