Trips, I would not worry about the instrument flying for a long time to come. And, as for icing, where you are, it is unlikely that you'll spend much time high enough to have to worry about it. Perhaps Gertrude is not familiar with the charms of the weather in your part of the continent! Any planes you'll be flying in the first few years, probably have no business in IFR flight, don't give that another thought....
New England is the part of the U.S. which has weather like England, where you schedule your flight to depart sometime that week, not that hour.
To carry your wife and kids, you'll want a minimum of $60,000 worth of plane. Half that if just one of them flies with you at a time. It is unwise to plan to become the pilot of the plane, and be hubby and daddy all at the same time, for the first while. Limiting yourself to one passengr at a time lets you get used to passengers, and not be so affected by the distractions and responsibility.
You can buy a lot of airfare for the difference between two and four seats! Tiedowns would range from $30 to hundreds a month depending upon the airport, and hangar probably four times that amount.
Good luck, but plan, and ease into flying, you'll enjoy it more!