Setting up and managing iPhoto with new Mac and external harddrive

First time Mac user and I'm stressing about iPhoto!
I have the new 13" Macbook Air.
I have my old PC (no longer using) that has all of my old photos on it.
Those photos are also on my Wireless Network Drive.
Have not done anything YET in iPhoto because I want to set it up properly.....that's where I'm stressing.....
Here is how I want it to work, which I fear is not possible or maybe I'm just not understanding the correct setup I need to do to meet my needs:
1. I want all of the old PC pics to stay on the Network Drive only UNLESS I decide to BRING the specific ones into iPhoto down the road.
2. I want new pics I take on my SLR to go to iPhoto (which they will) AND the Network Drive for back up (no problem here)
3. Every now and then I will MOVE the photos OFF of my Mac completely and to the Network Drive to make sure I always have space on the Mac.
I also have iCloud and Time Machine so maybe those could help me as well.
4. This is my biggiest complaint.....when I open a photo in iPhoto and edit it, I WANT TO SEE THE ORIGINAL FILE in iPhoto ALWAYS.  After reading tons of message boards it sounds like yes, iPhoto does save the original BUT it is nearly impossible to find and it is labeled very poorly.  (I know there is a trick to view the original next to the edited one while you're in iPhoto, but that isn't what I mean).  I essentially want to see my edited photo and my original photo just like you would on a PC if you did 'save as new'.  I want the original in iPHOTO next to/near the edited one(s) not in a hidden/impossible to find/archived path. 
If I'm understanding correctly from what I've read, based on what I want, I may need to use a 'reference library' versus a 'managed library'?
I'm not crazy about doing that though because it seems there are risks because it isn't stored in the 'library package'?
To make a long story short, I want my new pics on my Mac, old pics can stay on the network drive (unless I want to edit them or show someone), and I want to be able to easily access the ORIGINAL file.  I want everything to be safely backed up and want the option to move things to the network drive/time machine/cloud or w/e when space gets limited on Mac.
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. 

New photos go to iPhoto, I organize, tag, create albums do whatever.  These are also getting backed up in the Cloud and Time Machine (I think?? I still have to research more about how those works....sorry, Mac Newbie)
There is no iCloud backup of photos
Time Machine is good - but it appears that it does not backup the iPhoto library if iPhoto is running so be careful there
If I start to really run out of space, I can move them off Mac completely.
To do that correctly you need an external disk formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) with an iPhoto library on it and use iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ -  to move photos between your MBA iPhoto library and the iPhoto library on the external drive
Regarding issue #4 about the original version, I read one of your posts which explained that the original version can be viewed by going to Home/Pictures/Photo Library Folder/Originals......so I could do that (as long as I don't mess with it). My only concern here is the naming convention that will use- I feel like it will be so hard for me to find the original one I want.
That is not a supported way to access the originals and is dangerous - any change no matter how small can corrput yoru library and cause loss of data and possibly photos - the simple rule is never go into the iPhoto library - there is no reason to - if you wnat the original photo you select it in iPhoto and export as kind = original
Maybe a program like Aperture may be better for me, but again, I'm open to suggestions since you're much more familiar with all of this than I am!
Aperature is more expensive and has many more capabilities including working well with referenced libraries
As to using iPhoto - no one here "encourages" anyone to use iPhoto - in fact for people who want to do things iPhoto does not do or ins not good at we often recommend using other programs - if you want to use it we can help use it correctly - we can not helop you use it incorrectly or make any changes in the way it works

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