The Ring family has a raw and beautiful story.

Shortly after Jim and Morgan Ring were married in 2016, Morgan became pregnant. Everything was going smoothly until their daughter, Rachel, was born stillborn when Morgan was 38 weeks pregnant. It was a gut punch of grief for the Rings. 

They were dazed and unsure of what to do next. But their deep-rooted desire for building a family was not diminishing, and so a few months after Rachel’s passing, they began the process of adopting a child. To help with the adoption fees, Morgan wrote a children’s book, “A Baby Named You.” The story was dedicated to “all of our future Yous,” and told a story of a home waiting for children. “Your kids will find you,” declares Morgan.

“So many people invested in our story,” Morgan remembers gratefully. After completing the adoption home study in July 2018, the Rings found out Morgan was pregnant again. Due to adoption agency regulations, their adoption ceased. “Last time I was pregnant, we thought we would bring our baby home, but we didn’t,” Morgan recounts. The adoption door seemingly closed. Pregnancy didn’t feel certain. 

“We had this house with all this room, so we said, ‘let’s help other families who are fostering.’” The Rings were able to help foster families by becoming respite caregivers. Jim and Morgan’s job was to look after foster children when their foster parents needed a short period of time off for emergencies or personal reasons. 

On March 30, 2019, Morgan gave birth to Sadie. Life was good, but like every step on their journey, another unexpected twist occurred. 

In March 2020 the adoption process reopened, and the Rings were introduced to three beautiful kids, affectionately called “the big kids” because they are the oldest children. While the world hunkered home during lockdown, the Rings nestled into life as a family. A month later, Morgan found out she was pregnant for the third time, and their daughter Piper was welcomed to the family on December 16, 2020. 

‍

A big, quiet house was now beautifully buzzing with the sounds of children. “We went from one kid to five within one year,” Morgan recounts. 

On May 25, 2023, the Ring family was finally able to make the adoption official, and “the big kids” were now theirs, forever. 

Coworkers, family, and friends stood outside of Springfield’s courthouse to welcome the family in a declaration of solidarity and celebration. Confetti sprinkled the air as the Rings, now officially a family of seven, exited. “We lived in the reality of what adoption means for three years,” recounts Morgan, “and now we (are) living in the reality of the celebration.”

“If the world was perfect, our daughter Rachel wouldn’t have died,” Morgan ponders, “and we wouldn’t have become a family.” Morgan and Jim still mourn for Rachel. Life is hard. “We all experience loss,” Morgan states. 

Yet, grief and beauty can coexist. “There can still be goodness, even if the story is not perfect.” 

Rachel’s birth date was August 28, or 8-28. Morgan sees this as a divine reminder. “Romans 8:28 says, ‘God works all things for good.’ That doesn’t mean all things are good. God makes good out of the imperfections.” 

Perfectly imperfect and absolutely beautiful.