This may go unread after such a break in time..but in future in the organizer highlight all your thumbnails then go to file and select "write tag info to files" this writes the tags as IPTC keywords which will stop with your images and Elements will recognise them and add the appropriate tags should you need to re-import them (it pays to do this everytime you tag a batch of image), this does not work on raw images though.
Also Elements reminds you periodicly to back up your catologue and images to Disc/Discs ..if you had done you would not be having this problem..strange how people never bother to learn the software till its to late
