Hi Jason,
Looks like you've made a good start. I did the same with my AM shins cover strips on both sides of the front of the shin. I would advise to buy some more ABS sheets from a craft shop / website to ensure a secure bond with the shin pieces. Once it has been glued and gone off it is suprising how strong the butt joint is. Strong enough for you to open it up to go over your shin / boots.
Also your right taking some of the material off the tops of the back of the shins will really help with comfort when moving about
Ian