Welcome! You know, there's a thread for posting pictures of yourself. I'll try to find it in a bit if you want.
You get rare cards by winning them from either the oracle or top-level matches. You can get one after you finish the quests.
I'm the founder of
Whitewall, which is a website that may or may not also help people and has fun too. It's also not Elements related, but check it out anyway. (There's a thread for discussion in my signature.)
Gratz on marriage and stuff. I'm still in high school so that's a bit beyond me.
Who's your friend that's good at Elements? Are they on the forum?
Finally, and most relevant: Donuts, Noodles, or Bacon?
(Usually I just ask Donuts or Noodles, but I'm contemplating a Bacon side of the story.)