Responsive child theme

I am a resent graduate with an AAS Web Technology degree, so I am new to ALL of this. My host uses WordPress, so I am trying to recreate my HTML, CSS, and JavaScript look with the Responsive template. I have created the child folder “responsive-child” in “wp-content”, “themes”.

Here is what I need to do:
Remove the top nav bar and add a left nav bar with images as links to each page I am going to create. The image links will line up on the left with the header image and be under the arch.

Here is how things look now, after nearly three days of reading and watching videos:
http://www.preciousmemoriessquare.com/

It will actually be a major overhaul, but one thing at a time. Right now, I feel like a duck out of water.

All help is greatly appreciated. Thank you and God Bless!