Custom white balance homework

Hey, y'all!
I know I promised pics but it's going sort of slow with my new camera. I am still learning and playing with it. Yesterday I finally got a gray card and tried to take pics without CWB and with. My most favorite blogger who is a much busier Hsing mom of 5 going on 6 - Alyssa (see her link for photo actions in the categories on teh right handside) and my real life friend AMy have been an inspiration to me.
My pics are far from the sharpness and color of theirs but I will not give up. I do have the same camera as Alyssa, not the experience of either of my friends yet, but I should be able to do my homework. So, my dear teachers friends. Sorry, I am turning my homework (or challenge for a little lighter tone) in so late but I finally did it. I didn't know how to make the pics larger on this new blogger but it is enough to see the difference. I also had to put them side by side in PSE (that's the only way I could figure out to present them, please, correct me if there is a better way) The first pics were taken with AWB setting and the comparison one using the gray card and set for CWB. What a big difference! I am sure you could tell! The skin tone is much more natural.
Please, bear with me as I learn this new blog spot. I made the last comparison images larger, ut it's not large enough to see detail, so I uploaded them individually as well. I got 2 more kids comparisons and even hubby looked away from the computer for 2 shots, one without the CWB and one with after holding the card in front of his face. He didn't complain either. They are coming soon, I promise. I am working on it slowly.
I got tons more pics I took yesterday of the kids but I don't think I will edit them any time soon. No amount of editing can make them look like Alyssa's or AMy's pics. Color rich and sharp, sorry. I am not there yet. But I will go ahead and get them out just the way they are. Kids grow fast, I'll edit what I can and the rest just have to be taken the way they are. If anyone knows how to learn to take great pics without using the gray card every time, please, enlighten me too! THe photostore owner (who is a photographer himself) told me he used to take all his pics with the gray card till he learned the K factor. The store was closing in a matter of minutes and I didn't want to wear my welcome out there, esp since it was my first time. SO, I was left hanging in limbo. Now I got to google it and see if I can learn on my own without paying for a photo class again. ANy comments or info are welcome.