Ok... I'm gonna respond here, myself... just to get it to move on down the road!

AARRGGGG Donna. LOL I was thinking about some hope for spring...looks way far away for now don't you think? Not getting any better I might add. My best caption at the moment is "this too shall pass"

The hawk in Menifee, CA can only be a Cooper's Hawk but it is an oddly-colored one. Something going on with the feathers, such as a heavy molt or missing feathers for some other reason. If you have other photos please post.

Nice sized property! If you want it to have the traditional schoolhouse look you want larger windows. Because the light was needed for studying, all the one-room school houses in my area have large windows almost covering at least two opposite walls. If that isn't practical because of finances or the home's interior layout, or you don't want it to actually look like a schoolhouse any more, you will want some taller shrubs under the higher windows and medium under the large picture window, choosing plants that will stay below the bottom of the window. Have at least some that will be evergreen so there will be color in winter, and then plant flowers in front of the shrubs. If you don't enjoy gardening, choose ground covers and plants that are either long-blooming or have interesting foliage. I like the suggestion of a small roof over the door, and a picket fence to define a dooryard. I might well wrap the dooryard and picket fence around the sides. Where I live, paved drives aren't the norm, so do what feels right to you. Think about what you want for your yard as far as its use, such as play areas for the kids or a volleyball court or a shady sitting area or a place to BBQ, and decide on the best places to place those. Consider traffic flow around the house and decide if you are likely to need paths beyond the one to the front door. Making your paths at least 5' wide will make them feel more welcoming. You don't say where you are, but if you are in an area with any real quantity of snow, be sure to leave areas where the snow can be plowed to.