Hi Dawn, and welcome! First you need to stain or paint that nice new fence - it's much easier to do that before you plant anything!
Then, it's really not that great a time to plant new things, until the weather cools off quite a bit. Fall is an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs and an added advantage is that a lot of nurseries and the big box stores mark their bigger plants and perennials down substantially to clear them out before winter. Yes, spend your time now amending your soil - another thing it's easier to do now than after planting. Some counties have great compost available from the landfill - it's even sometimes free!
Drawing a diagram on a big sheet of paper is always helpful. What are you going to use your yard for? Do you want a patio? Where do you want to plant trees? Consider both shade, and privacy but be sure the trees aren't too close to the house - their roots extend even further than the mature spread of the branches, so can cause problems with plumbing and your foundation if they are too close.
Be sure to keep some money in the budget for mulch ( a thick layer of wood chips or bark is best, leaves or pine straw also will work) to insulate your new plantings from freezing this winter, and also it helps maintain moisture in the soil for the new plants.
