Matthew, I’m learning as I go, so unfortunately I have no helpful advice here.  I’ve been told by folks to just go to a local lawn and garden place and ask what I should do…but when I actually get a few minutes to do work, I tend to just start working.  My weeds have been mostly ground ivy – that broad-leafed stuff that winds its way across the whole lawn in one gigantic root system.  I’ve been pulling that up, loosening up the dirt with a metal rake, and pulling more roots.

As far as rocks go…I remember working on a new garden with my dad years ago, and I recall roto-tilling, using the metal rake to pull out the rocks, and then tilling again.  Might be a nearby place where you can rent a tiller for a few hours.