Jenny, Hi! i can give you a couple of easy tips. Some you might already know.
Iso (film speed) The higher the # the more sensitive to light
100 or 200 outside bright lights
400 lower light such as the pics this morning.
400 or higher. Low light situations (sunsets, shooting your kids games in a gym, etc…)

Aperature. The higher the # the less light it brings thru the lens.
Now this does one really great thing. Depth of field (The range of focus)
All of your outdoor shots (landscape or scenery) F8 or over to give you a long range of focus
The higher the # the more depth of field
When shooting subjects. Lower f stop or the Depth of field. this will blur the background and make that subject pop.
Also, remember when you zoom the lens you are losing depth of field. Great when shooting a couple of loons or an eagle. Not so much trying to keep the whole landscape.

Rule of thumb when shooting subjects and F stop. F-stop can be # of subjects also.
1 subject 2.8 or 3.5 or your lowest aperature(fstop) on your lens.
2 same
4 4.5
5 5.6
6 6.3 and etc….
When shooting people outside its always good to use a little flash. Digital is more sensitive to light and it tends to absorb colors in the shadows of your subjects. Greens and blues usually. If you have a external flash (not the pop up) Try pulling the bounce card up and angling your flash up slightly at a 45 degree angle.
Aperature priority mode of your camera is my favorite.

I can go on about shutter and other stuff but if you have any questions just email me.
I have been a photographer for a long time and i worked in a camera store/lab for 20yrs.

You’re doing well with that camera. Thanks for getting a shot of my place. See you in a month!