The Joys of a backyard pond are limitless. Guaranteed, if you have kids or grandkids, that it will be a huge part of their life. They will love it.
This is my grandson and I in my backyard. He is now 4 and there is not a day he comes over here that we are not out back checking out the pond, the fish, looking for worms, etc.
Nothing - I mean nothing - adds more interest or joy to your backyard landscaping than a pond. A pond gives you the sound of the birds, attracts birds, butterflies and wildlife. The sound of the water relaxes you as you sit outdoors and enjoy a cool beverage.
Do you remove the fish? The plants? Or what?
Actually the first year I had a pond, I brought in the water lilly plants - they died. After that, I always left the plants and the fish. I remove the hose from the pump and simply keep the water running all winter.
This keeps the pond from totally freezing and very seldom do I lose any fish. And the plants all come back in the spring.